Hollyhock rust

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Saturday, 9 March 2019 at 3:00 pm

Prevent hollyhock rust in your garden, with the help of our guide.

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Time to act

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Rust fungus is the curse of hollyhocks. The undersides of the leaves are often peppered with bright yellow or orange-red rust spots with corresponding beige-yellow splodges on the upper surface. Eventually, it affects the whole plant, with leaves starting to fall away from the base. In severe cases the stem becomes infected too, and the whole plant may die.

Symptoms

Orange-brown spots on foliage and stems. Leaves may die and drop from plants, weakening the plant and resulting in death in extreme cases.

Find it on

hollyhocks, mallow

Organic

Remove infected leaves from plants as soon as the fungus is seen. In winter, when the hollyhock dies down, clear away any infected leaves as they will harbour the fungal infection. Weeds such as common mallow, which are related to hollyhocks, also harbour rust so pull them out if they appear in the garden.