What pests attack chrysanthemum?

Broad mite, Leaf Miner, Two-spotted spider mite, Whitefly

What diseases affect chrysanthemum?

Fusarium wilt, Grey mould, Tomato spotted wilt virus, White mould (Sclerotinia), Rust, Septoria leaf spot, Verticillium wilt

Chrysanthemum pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which chrysanthemum problems need quick action?

Fusarium wilt: At first the plant seems to recover overnight, but the wilt soon becomes permanent; growth is stunted and few fruits form. Grey mould: Small, almost translucent spots that turn brown and water-soaked; affected tissue goes soft, dark and dies, and buds and flowers shrivel. Tomato spotted wilt virus: Dark brown streaks on stems and leaf stalks; tips die back, and plants are stunted or grow lopsided. White mould (Sclerotinia): Masses of fluffy white, cotton-like mould on the affected parts, especially in cool, damp weather.

Chrysanthemum × morifolium

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for chrysanthemum in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	11
Pests	4
Diseases	7
Need quick action	4

How to grow chrysanthemum · All pests and diseases

Pests

Broad miteLeaf edges pucker and turn downward because the leaves cannot expand normally.Photo: David Riley, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Leaf MinerWinding white or brown tunnels (mines) inside the leaf, or on beet, chard, spinach and celery large pale blotches that soon turn brown and papery.Photo: Flowersabc, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Two-spotted spider miteTiny yellowish-green mites with two dark patches, white cast skins and eggs on the leaf undersides — easiest to see with a 10× hand lens.Also called: red spider mitePhoto: Gilles San Martin from Namur, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
WhiteflyFlat, oval, creamy-white scale-like nymphs on the undersides of leaves; black nymphs have been killed by a parasitic wasp.Photo: gaucho, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Which chrysanthemum problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Fusarium wilt: A cut stem shows brown or reddish-brown water-conducting tissue — lines lengthways, dots or a ring in cross-section.
Grey mould: On strawberries, grapes and other soft fruit a soft brown rot, often as the fruit ripens; on gooseberries whole branches die.
Tomato spotted wilt virus: Fruit with pale yellow or light green rings, often raised in the centre; ripe tomatoes blotched red and yellow; peppers with ring spots.
White mould (Sclerotinia): Later, hard black seed-like bodies (sclerotia) 0.5–1 cm across in the mould and inside hollow stems.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.