Fasciation
Fasciation– plant disease
Common name
Fasciation
Cresting
Causal agent
Fasciation can be caused by several factors, including genetic mutation, injury, viral infection, or the bacteria Rhodococcus fascians.
Symptoms & Signs
Flattened, enlarged, and elongated shoots and flowerheads that appear as fused are seen. The leaves and flowers growing from the abnormal stems are usually abundant. This results in disfiguration, which may look weird and abnormal. In some cases, the flowerheads grow around a central flower in a ring-like fashion, commonly called “hens and chicks.”
Transmission
Transmission of fasciation greatly depends on the cause. Fasciation caused by bacterial agents is spread via water and enters other plants and trees through open wounds. Others that are caused by genetic mutation are not contagious and do not spread to other plants.
Time of concern
Spring and summer
Common hosts
Delphiniums
Euphorbias
Sweet pea plant
Snapdragon
Forsythia
Cherry tree
Foxgloves
Lilies
Primulas