Key Plants And Key Diseases Indoors

Key plants are ones that frequently have diseases and should be monitored on a regular basis. In some locations, key plants should not be used if the amount of maintenance work required to ensure the site looks well at all times must be minimized.

Key pathogens/diseases (in bold) are those that frequently occur on the plant species. The other pathogens listed sometimes occur. If conditions at the planting site tend to favor the key diseases, the key plant should not be established there.

Aglaonema

• Colletotrichum
• Pythium
• Erwinia chrysanthemi
• Pseudomonas cichorii

Begonia

• Botrytis
• Powdery mildew
• Pythium
• Impatiens necrotic spot virus
• foliar nematode

Brassaia (Schefflera)

• Alternaria
• Cercospora
• Phytophthora
• virus

Chrysanthemum

• Aschochyta, Alternaria, or Stemphyllium
• Botrytis
• Powdery Mildew
• Pythium
• Erwinia chrysanthemi
• Pseudomonas chicorii

Cissus (Grape ivy)

• Downy Mildew
• Powdery Mildew

Cyclamen

• Fusarium wilt
• Impatiens necrotic spot virus

Dieffenbachia

• Phytophthora
• Erwinia chrysanthemi
• Xanthomonas dieffenbachiae
• Dasheen mosaic virus

Dracaena

• Colletotrichum
• Fusarium
• Phyllosticta

Epipremnum (Pothos)

• Colletotrichum
• Pythium
• Rhizoctonia

Ficus

• Cercospora
• Colletotrichum
• Phomopsis
• Glomerellla

Hedera (English ivy)

• Colletotrichum
• Xanthomonas hederae

Peperomia

• Cercospora
• Phytophthora
• Pythium

Syngonium

• Cephalosporium
• Rhizoctronia
• Erwinia chrysanthemi
• Xanthomonas vitians

Philodendron

• Phytophthora
• Pythium
• Rhizoctonia
• Erwinia chrysanthemi
• Xanthomonas dieffenbachiae
• Pseudomonas cichorii
• Dasheen mosaic virus

Schlumbergera (Holiday cacti)

• Fusarium
• Pythium
• Impatiens necrotic spot virus

Saintpaulia (African violet)

• Phytophthora
• Botrytis
• Powdery Mildew
• Rhizoctonia
• Erwinia chrysanthemi
• foliar nematode