Marianne's Response
Help Needed
My Lime Marmalade Heuchera is looking really bad. I have removed all the leaves that look like this. What does it have and how can I prevent it? I also have what appears to be the same thing on my Hollyhocks. I too removed on the infested leaves.
Posted by TomandLinda on June 18, 2020
Marianne's Response
So sorry but your heuchera and hollyhocks are both infected with the dreaded rust disease. This is a fungus among us caused by damp wet weather. Once the rust forms the spores fall to the ground and the plants are reinfected each time it rains and splashed onto the leaves. Pull off every infected leaf and put a fresh mulch under the plants to seal in the spores. Keep the foliage dry. Some hollyhocks and some heuchera are more susceptible to rust disease than others. If you do decide to give up and uproot the infected plants do not use the same variety in that location. Heucheras with dark purple leaves are less likely to get rust. Fungicide sprays are better at preventing rust than curing the problem once it occurs. Dry foliage and good air circulation is the best prevention. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
