| Several of my caryopteris have developed what I think is a gall--growths on the stems that cause blackening and dieback on the stems. The galls are individually short & tubular and arranged in masses up to 1" long and completely surrounding the stem. I thought this plant was disease "free" (Dirr's Manual). Other than removing the infected stems, is there any treatment? |
| To be honest I have never seen anything like that on caryopteris and in my experience it really is about as close to a trouble free plant as it gets. Perhaps it is something prevalent in the wild in your area; removing it is probably a good idea, as would be destroying the clippings. You might wish to take a sample to your County Extension (679-5616) to see if they can give you a definite identification and, based on that, any suggested controls. If these are newly purchased plants, you might also check with the supplier to see if they have had any similar reports. You've got me stumped! |
