There is something unusual here. These plants were all planted last year, or earlier, from nursery plants, and did OK. This year, they all came up just fine. However, in all three cases a plant or portion of a plant seemed to have wilting leaves, and just died.

This New England Aster has an obviously dead section, but everything else is going fine.


This Gray-Headed Coneflower came in as the two plants I put in last year, but one wilted and died earlier.


Of the two Dwarf Joe-Pye Weed plants that came back in multiple stems, the plant on the right seems to have lost everything but one stem.


If this was a disease, why didn't it spread to the rest of the plants, or the other plants? If it were a lack of water, surely I'd see more widespread a problem. If it were a large animal gnawing at roots or stems, I'd expect entire plants to fail, or stems to fall, not keep standing.

What might be going on here?

My first impression is that you may have planted these plants too deeply.

BigBill said:My first impression is that you may have planted these plants too deeply.

If these were new plants failing, I could see that; but this is all new growth from this year that go so far and then stopped. I just was looking at the Aster again, and there's a branch that is starting to yellow. It has blooms on it and was fine a few days ago. Admittedly, the aster is a leggy plant, with leaves closer to the ground dying off. But it seems to take the whole branch with it.

I just suggested the depth issue because you said that many were planted this year and last.
I have planted probably 500 perennials in my life and your issue for me is unheard of. Typically they are so reliable and hard to kill.
I don't see heat an issue, you seem to feel it is not from being dry. Insects completely killing some or rotting some seems so unlikely, so the depth of planting was the only thing I could think of.
Here in Detroit area I plant them a wee bit high in the hole as I always have. I like to put down a foot or so of leaves on top of my beds during the winter.
I am struggling to help you with a possible cause. How about voles?

Yes, I'm thinking something may be nibbling the stems above the root, but below the ground. Still, we'll see how they look next year. It is just puzzling to see things partly affected.