Passion Vine Diseases: How To Treat Common Diseases Of Passion Vine

Passion vines (Passiflora spp.) produce showy, exotic-looking blossoms that add instant impact to any backyard. The flowers of some species grow to 6 inches (15 cm.) in diameter, attracting butterflies, and the vines themselves shoot up quickly. These tropical vines are appealing and easy to grow, but they can suffer from a number of passion vine diseases, including diseases caused by viruses and those that are fungal.

Diseases of Passion Vines

Below you will find information about viral and fungal issues affecting passion vine plants.

Viruses

Some species of passion vines are susceptible to viruses. Some can catch passionflower vine diseases by being infested with viral infections from chewing insect pests. The worst insect transmitters are several species of aphids. The viral diseases of passion vines are also transmitted by grafting knives, scissors, and pruners. None of the viruses are transmitted through seeds. You can identify viral diseases of passion vine plants by looking for distorted or stunted leaves. Vines with these passion vine diseases tend to flower poorly and the fruit they grow is small and misshapen. Young or weak plants may be killed by viral diseases, and treating passion vine problems will not help the plant fight off the disease. Healthier plants often make a full recovery, especially if you care for them properly – plant them in full sun and offer them a balanced fertilizer monthly.

Fungal

Passionflower vine diseases also include fungal infections. These passionflower vine diseases may not kill the plants, but the spores multiply on the leaves, causing ugly spots. Spraying the vines with fungicides in early spring can help prevent these diseases. Fungal diseases can attack passion vine from the time they are seedlings until maturity, including such diseases as anthracnose, scab, septoriosis, and alternaria spot. Some diseases, including fusarium wilt, collar rot, and crown rot are very difficult to control. Treating passion vine problems that are fungal in origin is generally not effective. However, you can prevent these passion vine diseases from attacking your plant through good cultural habits. Always water the passion vine from below to be sure that you don’t get water on vine leaves and be sure that the vine is planted in full sun.