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Impatiens Diseases

Name: Impatiens Diseases
SKU: ART-3962

Informational table showing disease name, symptoms, pathogen/cause, and management of Impatiens diseases.

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Updated:

July 7, 2025

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Pink impatiens

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Disease	Symptoms	Pathogen/Cause	Management
Alternaria Leaf Spot	Brown spots and rings form on infected leaves.	Alternaria	Reduce humidity and maintain good air circulation. Space plants for good air circulation. Apply a fungicide registered for use on impatiens.
Botrytis Blight	Flowers are spotted, and stems rot.	Botrytis cinerea	Reduce humidity and maintain good air circulation. Do not space plants too closely. Remove fading flowers and yellowing leaves. Apply a fungicide registered for use on impatiens.
Bacterial Fasciation	Plants are stunted and have many short shoots at the crown.	Corynebacterium fascians	Discard infected plants. Do not propagate from infected plants. Propagate and plant in pasteurized potting media.
Damping-off	Stems at the soil line die, and plants collapse.	Pythium or Rhizoctonia	Plant in pasteurized potting media. Keep hose ends off the ground.
Powdery Mildew (New Guinea impatiens)	White, mealy fungal growth develops on the top of leaves. Sometimes, heavy gray growth develops.	Oidium	Apply a fungicide registered for use on impatiens.
Pythium Root Rot	The lower leaves wilt, leaves fall, and the plant dies.	Pythium spp.	Pot in pasteurized, pathogen-free media. Keep hose ends off the ground. Apply a fungicide registered for use on impatiens.
Thielaviopsis Root Rot	Roots become dark brown and rot. Lower stems have sunken lesions when infected.	Thielaviopsis basicola	Pot in pasteurized, pathogen-free media. Keep hose ends off the ground. Apply a fungicide registered for use on impatiens.
Verticillium Wilt	Lower leaves yellow and fall. Infected plants may recover.	Verticillium dahliae	Pot in pasteurized, pathogen-free media. Do not take cuttings from infected plants.
Virus	Ring spots on leaves. Death of growing tips. Severe stunting.	Impatiens necrotic spot virus	Discard infected plants. Control thrips that carry the virus. Do not propagate from infected plants.