Stengelbrand, a work in progress!

Ada, my fingers are crossed for you.

Thanks, Joan. I appreciate your empathy very much. It is comforting to come here and be in the company of those that have experienced the same thing. I still have lots of other brugs to enjoy so that is comforting too.

Thanks, David. I'm sorry to hear about your struggles as well. I lost a huge Charles Grimaldi tree earlier this year and several seedlings also. I've got lots of whiteflies and mites in my garden so it would not surprise me at all if they could transmit SB or Fusarium Wilt Virus or whatever this is that I have. My fingers are crossed for you also. What a shame that you lost so many lovely ones too.

I just took my Vixen, pot and all, to the burn pile yesterday. It definitely has SB. The last bloom flush on it was amazing. So many blooms, I couldn't believe it. However, it has never looked right since I got it last year and I have watched to see that it didn't have a problem. All of the leaf nodes broke out with the black ring at the same time. I guess I'll be growing brugs in another part of my yard for a long while.

Clare, I am very concerned about this virus. Maybe I should leave the Brugmansias alone and stick to my Plumies. I know I have had a lot of trouble with red spider the one with the water problem. Do they they come true to there seeds. I have never had one put out seeds. Joan

Shirley, I am so sorry. My Jean Pasco was like that. It didn't bloom all summer, and just when I noticed that it was covered in flowers, I also noticed all the black rings at the nodes. It's just heart-breaking. I'm so sorry about your Vixen. That's terrible.

Joan, plumeria hybrid seedlings don't come true to their parents. They can look exactly like one of their parents (on an off chance), or they can look very different from their parents (more likely). I think it has something to do with a large number of chromosomes, but I'm not sure. Plumerias, like Brugmansias, usually don't start setting seeds until they get to be fairly mature trees, and some hybrids produce seedpods more easily than others. Like Brugmansias, a natural pollinator has pollinate the flowers, or it can be done manually, but it is difficult to do with plumerias. Both my plumerias and brugmansias have spider mites now, but they can be controlled. For both of them, I remove most of the leaves, and then I spray the remaining leaves with Neem Oil, and I also treat with Bayer Advanced Garden Systemic Granules. I also spray with Safer's All-In-One, which is a miticide, a fungicide, and a insecticide. It's good to rotate treatment so successive generations don't become immune to one product.

What I'm wondering about is that, if SB is a fungus, doesn't a fungus spread to other plants by spores? I need to do some more reading about this. I may not have SB but rather the Tomato Spotted Wilt virus or perhaps the Tobacco Mosaic Virus: http://www.abads.net/brugvirus.htm I don't know, but it is very depressing. I had some double seedlings that looked exactly like the pictures in that link of the double white leaves with Mosaic Virus.

Still, I won't give up on brugs because I love them so much, but I won't be getting any new ones for a while.

Shirley, that was the way my Vixen did. It bloomed so pretty and all of a sudden it dropped it's leaves and looked so sickly. I burned it potand all. The yellow Suav. someone sent me looked great then it dropped it leaves so I burned it also. I have some spots on lots of my leaves that I've been watching. I'm afraid to share any after having to destory those. We sure don't need to be spreading it around.

Clare what a shame, I am so sorry, I just cannot believe your lovely brugs are gone. I will be happy to send you cuttings later this fall, if I might have anything you would like. Your photos are always so beautiful, with your talent, I know you will have yet again have a lovely garden and, shoot, since it happened, I know you will figure out how to make it even more wonderful....

Clara, that web site is full of information. I have copied a lot of it on plant care and I have been copying the thing that you have wrote also. I will have a book soon. I am moving my datura plants to the other side of the house but they seem to be healthy. I will have to read more so I can take better care of them.
I do not know about boiling tools . They say the same thing about my Hoyas too.
How many plants do you have and if it is not SB will what ever you have infect the others? I hope and pray it will not.
Do you have a close-up of the sick plants? It would help us all to see them and know what to look for in are plants.
Joan

Sherry, you are just a doll to say that and to offer me cuttings. I appreciate your generosity, but there is no need to send me cuttings. I still have plenty of other ones. I think I'm down to around 25! That's plenty for me for now, but bless your generous heart. Thank you for the compliments:-) I still have some of Cala's colored double seedlings, and one of them is about to bloom, and it looks like it might be a double. I am having a terrible problem with spider mites right now, and one of the blooms with two skirts dropped just before opening, but there are still a couple more buds so I'm watching those with interest right now. I'll post pictures if they turn out to be anything but white! LOL!

Hi Joan, I use a Santi-wipes for my cutting tools now, and it kills everything and anything. They use the same wipes in some hospitals to kill HIV and other things. I didn't use to use them though. A couple of years ago, I used the same cutting tool for all brug trimming. The thing is that I don't remember ever pruning these particular ones, but I guess I could have taken a cutting here and there. I really don't remember ever cutting on Jean Pasco. Oh, well. I guess there is no crying over spilled milk. I have about 25 brugs left, and 11 of those are in the ground. Yes, whatever it is, a virus or a fungus, it will spread by a vector or by cutting tools so, as soon as I realized they were infected, they had to be destroyed. I can't burn them here with our dry climate and fire regulations, but I can dispose of them in a sanitary way. These looked exactly like the pictures that I posted on the other SB thread so I did not take more pictures of them, but here is the thread with pictures when I first found the virus/fungus: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/507151/

I just looked at those pictures again, and I actually had a lot more black this time around the leaf nodes and in between the nodes. From what I understand, the black dries to dry rot with time. I also had trunks which looked like they were spliting open and rotting at the same time. They were soft and mushy to the touch, and I imagine it was only a matter of time before the whole tree was affected in a major way. There are some very good pictures of SB here on the other thread that Kell started: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/419685/

Hi Clare, I have been looking at every thing I can find on bugers on the net. I have never seen flowers as beautiful as your two trees were. It really made me sick when I saw them. I did not understand how big they could get in the ground. The one you had that was pink and the pedals crossed was just beautiful. Next year I want to get one of those. Are they harder to grow then other burgs?
How do you keep the threads you want to go back to? How will I be able to find what Kell has written when he puts all of this together?
Joan

Hi Joan, my Pink Beauty wasn't affected, nor my Ecuador Pink, and those two are big trees in the ground. Just my large Charles Grimaldi got it which was in the ground. Thanks for the compliments:-) They are not hard to grow at all, but Ecuador Pink is the most cold-sensitive brug that I have, and it does have some branch dieback each winter.

You can "Watch" threads by clicking on "Watch Thread" at the top of each thread, and you can also do searches for key words by putting the words in the search box, and then you can either search all forums or just a certain forum. If you do a search for "Stanglebrand," you will find the threads that Kell has started on this issue, and then you can either "Watch" them, or you can bookmark them and go back to them when you need to. HTH

This picture below was taken when my PB tree branch got so heavy with blooms that it broke off! I've since pruned it way back, and it looks much more compact now.

Oh Clare. I am so sorry! Your PB is just incredible. Just incredible. I am so glad it is OK.

Hi Clare, I just can not believe that any plant that is so beautiful would not be know all over the country. Pink Beauty might be the best for me then. I have a greenhouse to put them in in the winter and I keep it at 45 degrees. We do get some freezes but It does not stay down long.
I am going to have to put every thing in the greenhouse and hope we do not get the 75 mile an hour wind and 14 inch rain from Reta. We are right in the path and my yard is filled with pine trees.
But I am really worried about a friend who took her husband to Houston for cancer treatments and they are in the traffic that is just sitting on the road trying to get here. Another friend Who lives in La Port left last night and they were still in Houston 17 Hours later. Please say a pray for them. Joan

Thanks so much, Kell:-)

Joan, PB tends to get huge, and since you will be growing in a container, you may want to opt for one that stays smaller in stature; although, I'm not sure which pink that might be! I guess Ecuador Pink is my smallest pink. Of course, all of our prayers are with you and your friends and everyone who is in Rita's path. Let's hope and pray that she dies down and turns away from land.

Isn't it so scary, Joan? My sister evacuated from New Orleans and went to Houston. Now she is stranded in Houston and can't get out. No gas. She is afraid to be left with no protection on the highway while trying to flee. She said they are on their own in Houston, there is no city plan at all.

I have a dear friend near Tyler. I had no idea it was right in the path. I will sure pray for you!

Hi Clare and Kell, thank you so much for your prays and for caring. You have both been so generous with helping all of us learn about this beautiful plant and now the caring about Reita, that's what gets us through this life.
The wind is starting to blow here but Reita is down to a 3 let hope she stays there. All the plants are in the greenhouse and all thing are picked up and now we wait and pray for all those on the road still. Joan

Bless your heart Joan. I feel so hopeless to help any of you. All I can do is pray! And I will.

Kell, Thank you, I left so helpless when Clare's burges were dieing but it helps so much when others care. Joan

Pink Favorite is a nice, small brug, low, few leaves, lots of blooms and wide, blooms her heart out and has a lovely fragrance. She will melt in (((HOT))) temps, but she has bloomed EVERY day since June 23, that's a LONG time...my zone is your zone...

hi, Sherry, Thanks I will start looking for it even though it is late in the season because I have a greenhouse to put it in. I can not sleep because of waiting for Reita. It has just started to rain. Are you in line to get any of this?
Pink Favorite sounds perfect for my needs,
My DH was born and rasied in DeQueen. Do you know where that is.

Why, of course, I know where DeQueen is located. I was from Crossett. We played against DeQueen in football, I think, I know we ran track against them, maybe basketball too. If you will remind me, I'll be glad to send you PF cuttings, I will have a zillion. She is not so tall, but has spread at least 10 feet, I really love her...

Sherry. Bill remembers Crossett but he left DeQueen and went to college and then only went back to visit. He thought Ray Kimble, an old family friend, owned a news paper there for a while years ago.
We are 67 so it was a long time ago.
I would love some cutting from PF when you are ready but you will have to tell me how we do it. How do I know how much to send you for postages? Do you have a picture to post. Did you see Clare's pictures?
Boy what a surprize and did I need it to day. Now they are saying we could get more then 25 inches. It is 6:00 now and they just said it is just about over and we got 1 inch so we are still 9 inchs behind. IT realy messed up my yard but there are no trees down. So we can breath again. It is heading your way but it should blow out soon.
Joan

Hi all,
This past spring I recieved a plant that had SB and it spead to about 7 or 8 plants all of them burned but 1 which I sent to Cornell University for testing.
I got the results back today, below is the letter I recieved:

Here is the Diagnostic Report I got from Cornell University Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic

Diagnosis and Recommendation: for sample #0515518 9/20/2005

Host/Habitat: Angel Trumpet (Brugmansia sp.)
Diagnosis/ID: Bacterial Soft Rot (Erwinia sp.)
Diagnosis/ID: Phomopsis (Phomopsis sp.)

The sample submitted to the Clinic for analysis showed raised stem cankers, and plants were reported to be dying. Very few diseases have been reported on this host. Most of the known pathogens on Brugmansia are viruses. We did not note any symptoms that would suggest a virus infection, and as this testing may be very expensive, if you are interested in having plants tested for viruses, please call the Clinic at 607-255-7850 for more information.
We placed some plant material in a moist chamber, attempted to isolate a pathogen from the stem cankers, and examined the roots microscopically. We also dissected the lower stem, and found no discoloration of tissue. Although the dark watery lesions suggested infection by a bacterial pathogen, we were unable to isolate Clavibacter michiganense, the bacterium known to cause stem cankers on Datura/Brugmnsia spp. We also were not able to isolate any other known stem pathogen, although we did isolate or observe some potentially pathogenic organisms.
Although most of our isolations produced bacteria, we also isolated a Fusarium sp. and observed Fusarium sporulating on dying bud tissue. We also observed pycnidia of a Phomopsis sp. developing on and in cankers. The fungus Phomopsis has been reportedly isolated from stems of some Datura spp. but not specifically from Angels Trumpet, nor has it been proven to be a pathogen. However, as we did find Phomosis developing on and within necrotic tissue associated with most of the cankers, we suspect that it may be the primary cause of the cankers. We noted that the cankers did not significantly worsen during the time that we had plant material in a growth chamber except where bacterial ooze was also present.
At least one species of bacterium isolated appeared to be an Erwinia spp. and these organisms cause diseases commonly known as Soft Rots. Although the Soft Rot bacteria may be merely secondary invaders of tissue infected with Phomopsis, we suspect that once present, the bacteria initiate a more rapid decay that leads to stem dieback. If this occurs near the base of the stem where moisture level is higher, it may be causing a rot and overall dieback of the stem. No chemical control recommendations are available. We recommend isolating infected plants from healthy plants, then pruning out branches with cankers from infected plants. Make cuts at least 3-4 inches below any visible symptoms, and carefully clean pruning tools between each cut with a 10% bleach solution. If desired, seal cut ends with grafting wax or treat with a drying agent, and prune additional material at the first sign of infection. Also avoid any overhead watering that may help to spread fungal spores or bacteria. If you have any questions, please contact the Clinic at your convenience. Thank You. 607-255-7850

Ok...this thread got me nervous, so I went out and looked. One brug looks very suspicious, and the other is iffy...

I'll let you experts tell me what you think...

Here is the first one that is most suspicious. It is a Suavolens white. Luckily, if it turns out to be something bad, it isn't one I'll miss too much, lol...
-T
Suavolens (white)

here it is again:

Suavolens white #2

and this one wasn't nearly as bad, but did have some kind of questionable area on it...

This one is one I'll be needing to know about for sure, since I just sent a cutting of it, to someone...

Grimaldi/Jutner



This message was edited Oct 7, 2005 1:59 PM

seedpicker you should dispose of #1 + #2. Does Grimaldi/Jütner still has healthy looking leaves or has she started to drop them? This is the first sign of SB on Grimaldi.

Connie Thank you so much for this info!

Thank you Connie for posting your letter, it helps to understand some more things :)

Thanks, Monika.
That is pretty much what I figured after I saw the picture of the lesions.

The Grimaldi has different "marks", so not sure what to do with it...it hasn't lost any leaves or vigor, compared to the others, but they are easy to come by, and not really worth the risk?

Should I do like Connie's letter, and just cut out the weird places? Or, should I dispose of it, also?
-T

I would dispose of the whole plant, that letter is from them studying one plant for 2 weeks. Those of us who have had plants with this know that it spreads quickly once the plant starts showing signs of it.

Connie

Seedpicker, I would dispose of it. Its like Connie has said. It spreads very fast.

Thanks so much, Connie, for this very helpful information. It is interesting that both a fungus and bacteria are at work here.

My Ecuador Pink, which is a huge tree, is starting to show some black spots on its branches, but they are not at the nodes, which is different than what I've seen. It is starting to get colder here, and my Ecuador Pink has been the ground for two or three years now, and it always gets some branch dieback in the colder weather. It is the most sensitive to cold of all my brugs in the ground. Still, I will watch it carefully.

Clare, is this stuff all over the world now ? I thought it was something new.

It defiantely isn't new, Jestelleoan. It's been found in a lot of Brugs this year..

We've had fusarium in our USA brugs since at least 1998. Especially in the wet cold climates. And there's been lots of other diseases diagnosed such as the ones Connie received info about ... and more. Without the kind of testing Connie had done you don't know for sure what you are dealing with. I've never actually had any testing done to know for sure what I had when past problems arose. I just assumed. From now on I will have brugs tested.

Well, I've had SB so it makes perfect sense that my Ecuador Pink has SB, but I am not willing to admit it yet. As I said before, this is a huge tree with a fat base, and it has been in the ground for around three years. Please tell me what you think but please bear in mind that my B. versicolors -- such as HG, Peach, and EP -- develop ugly-looking bark because of the cold temps that we get in the winter. They have to deal with temps in the low 40's routinely during the winter and, for short periods of time, temps in the mid to high 30's. These branches do have black spots on them, but they are not at the nodes like the other ones that I destroyed. It bloomed well this summer, but it now is looking pretty terrible, possibly because of the high winds we've had lately. Anyway, here are some branches:

Here is a closer look:

Gosh Clare, it doesn't look good, but I sure can't tell what it is. I hope that someone who has had this same thing diagnosed in the past will come by and let you know what it might be. Seems there is something new cropping up every once in a while for us to worry about.

Clare, SB looks different. You dont have to worry about EP.

This message was edited Oct 10, 2005 12:48 AM