Articles
Pansy Diseases
Informational table showing disease name, symptoms, pathogen/cause, and management of Pansy diseases.
Updated:
November 16, 2023
| Disease | Symptoms | Pathogen/Cause | Management |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthracnose |
Dead spots ⅛ to ¼ inch with dark brown margins and gray centers form on leaves. Dark concentric lines form within the spots. Sunken brown to tan spots form on stems, girdle them and kill the plant. |
Colletotrichum violae-tricoloris | Apply a fungicide registered for use on pansy. |
| Cercospora Leaf Spot | Small black, circular spots form on the lower leaves under moist conditions. | Cercospora | Apply a fungicide registered for use on pansy if the weather is wet. |
| Fusarium Wilt | Plants wilt and die quickly. Roots are rotted. | Fusarium oxysporum | Destroy infected plants. |
| Pythium Root Rot | Lower leaves yellow as root rot. This is easily confused with Thielaviopsis root rot. | Pythium | Plant in pathogen-free potting mix. Avoid over-watering. Discard flats of infected plants. Apply a fungicide registered for use on pansy. However, note that fungicides effective for Pythium tend to stunt young pansies. |
| Scab | Round spots up to ¼ inch in diameter which are yellow or cream colored form on any part of the plant. Spots are slightly raised and appear scabby. Infected leaf tissue may fall out leaving holes in the leaf. Stems are girdled and plants die. | Sphaceloma violae | Apply a fungicide registered for use on pansy. |


Prepared by Gary W. Moorman, Professor emeritus of Plant Pathology










