Please can anyone advise - please see photo of a rather distressed purple s : Grows on You

West Sussex, United Kingdom

Please can anyone advise - please see photo of a rather distressed purple smoke bush/tree - On looking at a web site it seems this may be a case of verticillium wilt? Is it a fatal disease? Any suggestions of what action to take - I've a green smoke bush a few feet away that seems to be fine at present - The purple bush appears about 70% infected but going down hill rapidly! Is the green bush in danger of catching the disease? Both plants are over 35 years old. Appreciate any comment with thanks in anticipation.

On plant Cotinus

22 Aug, 2016

Answers

Bamboo

Cotinus is subject to verticillum wilt, and that may well be what you're seeing - cutting through woody tissue and examining it for black streaking would confirm, but this sometimes only appears inside the main trunk. Even so, it might be worth removing a thicker branch to see what you can find. More info below

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=255

22 Aug, 2016