Key Features
- scorched leaves
- dieback and spots on leaves
- infects tulips and lily
Symptoms
Infected leaves develop small, elongated tan, yellow or gray spots that often look water-soaked. Infected leaves and stems turn whitish-gray and may distort or collapse. Dark black "pepper flakes" called sclerotia allow the fungus to overwinter and begin the infection next spring.
Biology
Tulip fire is caused by a fungus that overwinters as tiny fungus balls (called sclerotia) that look like "pepper flakes". Flowers are the most susceptible to this fungus. Infection often begins on flower petals that fall onto leaves and allow the fungus to eventually infect the leaf. Loss of leaves results in a reduction of flowering the following year.
Management Recommendations
In areas where this is a persistent problem, remove diseased plants. As most tulips are fairly short-lived perennials in the Midwest, change the location where you plant them. As always, start with planting healthy bulbs. Also, remove flowers before petals fall so the plant maintains its energy to produce a healthy bulb, not seeds that probably won't look like the tulip you planted!
Effective Pesticides
Active Ingredients include: Chlorothalonil, Thiophanate-methyl
Resources
- Not satisfied with ID? Contact the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab
- Sign Up for the Purdue Landscape Report
