British Columbia: Daphnes

I have a daphne mezzereum which has almost completely died. I've had it for some 15 years from a young plant a few inches tall given me by a neighbour. I then noticed that some of the leaves of my daphne odora are also curling up and dying as is another low growing daphne (don't know the name of this one). Has anyone else had problems with their daphnes? Could it be from our wet, cold spring here in the lower mainland area?

 

I think you probably have a pocket of a soil disease called Armillaria sp. in the soil and it has rotted your roots.

Armillaria can sit dormant and not effect any-thing susceptable for years, until your shrubs roots touch where the disease is in the soil. I have read that it is believed to move through ground water too. So, with all of our rain this spring, there were consequences

I've had it attack Rhodos., Azaleas and mainly shade loving plants. There is nothing you can do.

Remove the plant and put it in the garbage. Replace it with some-thing different in that spot. Sorry.

 

Just to clarify: all 3 daphnes are in different beds on different sides of the house. It seems strange that I have suddenly got 3 pockets which are contaminated with Armillaria in totally different areas of the garden. The daphne odora is growing right next to a rhodo and a pieris, neither have shown any distress. Could it not be something else?

 

I see. Can you put up a couple of pictures? Some-one else will add to this very soon I'm sure.

A diagnosis can only be based on assumptions at times, when we can't actually be on site to inspect.

It is possible that your soil could display problems in many areas at the same time due to the weather.
When the house was built for instance, the soil had to be spread around to level the area.

If the other plants roots aren't actually touching the infected soil they won't show signs of the disease.

The other thought I had was weavils. Is the base of the plant girdled at all?
That's why either pictures or a site analysis are needed in some cases.

 

Daphnes are notorious for suddenly dying without obvious causative symptoms.

 

Twig dieback could be this.

http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/ShowDisease.aspx?RecordID=413

Twig dieback and more could be this.

http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/ShowDisease.aspx?RecordID=412

 

Thank-you for the link Ron

 

Sorry not to have got back to you all sooner to thank you for your suggestions.