Date: 07/17/2021

Number: 1

There is something wrong with the milkweed this year. I had 7 plants, and added 3 this year. Of the 7 pre-existing plants in my yard, most all but 3 have died. Something happened that narled up the tops of their leaves and after that, it was a downward spiral. If I watered the plants they ended up dying. Then this week, one sprouted an new shoot.
Of the three that were planted this year, one got the narled leaf top look but seems to be recovering. A second one is now dying. The leaves have turned a whitish color and is wilting Two others did the same thing earlier this year but seem to be on the mend. One of the new plants with narled leaves, looks like it is wilting. If I water it when it looks ill, that only seems to encourage the disease. I will not water the sick ones anymore after today when it is 93 degrees and 70 percent humidity here.

It has been a very discouraging summer. Massive amounts of bugs, and the same leaf top disease has stuck my milkweed, black eyed susans, crocosmia, and one other. Few scarlet red salvia have emerged. These plants are so prolific, reseed themselves each year and emerge on their own each year. I had hundreds in many previous years by now. This year there are perhaps 8 plants in my yard. I think we did not get enough precipitation over the winter so that plants did not have enough encouragement. Last year I had the best crop EVER of Larkspur and it hardly did anything this year. What did germinate of the larkspur was SO PUNY that it was embarrassing. The garden is much punier this year than any previous year.
Wonder if the environment became accustomed to the air pollution etc and when the air was clear due to covid and the lack of cars on the road, the environment could not cope.?? That is my assessment of the situation. I speculate that it will take 3-5 years in that same climate for landscape to become acclimated. So now it is struggling
Milkweed is a problem this year.....

Arlington, VA

Latitude: 38.9 Longitude: -77.1

Observed by: deborah
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