New leaves curling on dwarf butterfly bush - Ask Extension
I have two dwarf butterfly bushes of the same variety (Pugster Periwinkle) planted side by side. One of them has new leaves coming out curled up and ...
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New leaves curling on dwarf butterfly bush #645111
Asked June 02, 2020, 7:28 PM EDT
I have two dwarf butterfly bushes of the same variety (Pugster Periwinkle) planted side by side. One of them has new leaves coming out curled up and weird, the other one looks completely normal. They get exactly the same sun, soil and water. Can you please tell me the reason for the leaf curl and how to remedy it? Many thanks.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
We viewed your photos and we cannot say for sure what is going on. It looks abiotic and not a disease or insect issue. One possibility may be herbicide damage.
Has anything been sprayed around or near the property? Drift can cause injury.
Some herbicides are more readily absorbed through plant roots while others are only absorbed through leaf and stem tissue. Symptoms may show up as twisted, distorted, deformed shoots, etc.
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/herbicide-damage
At this point we recommend that you prune back the damaged foliage to healthy tissue. Monitor the plant and see if it outgrows the damage. You can submit more photos if you see additional symptoms.
Marian
Has anything been sprayed around or near the property? Drift can cause injury.
Some herbicides are more readily absorbed through plant roots while others are only absorbed through leaf and stem tissue. Symptoms may show up as twisted, distorted, deformed shoots, etc.
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/herbicide-damage
At this point we recommend that you prune back the damaged foliage to healthy tissue. Monitor the plant and see if it outgrows the damage. You can submit more photos if you see additional symptoms.
Marian
