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blackened sunflower head

16 years ago

some of them grew even above the eaves. The yellow flowers started blooming gorgeously. But once it grew enough to attract bees, it seems to attract something else.

Dark bugs looking like small flies that buzzes and flies rapidly around the head. Soon the yello petals quickly wither, the round face of the flower deformed, blackened (especially close to the rim). The bugs always stay flying around the flowers. The stem scoop and leaves turn yellowish.

I also notice small pepper size black dots on the leaves but do not see catapillars.

A couple of dozens sunflowers have been all ruined in the same way in the same order--blooming nicely, head bends, black bugs noticed, the flower deformed and blackened.

Do you know what causes it?

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Comments (3)

lindac
16 years ago
I suspect what you are seeing is the natural maturation of the sunflower. Small bugs are attracted to the center of the sunflower as that's where the mectar and pollen is. When sunflower blooms, in a few days the petals whither the heads bow and the leaves start to yellow and the seeds ripen.
That's just what they do.
Linda C
moonfair
Original Author
16 years ago
Oh, Linda

Thank you, but I do not think they were maturing because it became really black, not brown. And why do they twist and get deformed...? Is it normal?
I showered them with water, and now the flies are gone.
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Not sure if this is the right forum to post this ==>>> you may post anywhere you want ... but as you note.. you already know its a sunflower ... when it flowers... and you want a more specific ID... then it would be here ... but if you want to find peeps who grow annuals ... and talk about sunflowers ... that might be the annual forum ... though that forum is rather dead this time of year .... but do understand... its winter.. for a vast percentage of us on GW ... and a lot of the forums become rather inactive ... so post where ever you can find an audience .. have fun in the garden ken
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karotladee
16 years ago
I think I have the same problem. This is my first time planting sunflowers & I have watched them daily. Mine are the 'giant'variety & the stems are green & thick. One huge flower looks as though it was trying to split in half so it looks deformed to me. I have bright yellow petals & seeds were forming & then the heads bent over & there is a blackish smear in the center of the heads. I don't think they ever seeded since I never saw birds but I never had black bugs. I've read thru sunflower diseases but nothing describes this. I must admit, I don't know what heathy, natural sunflower seed looks like either. I have not lost petals so I don't think this is maturation either & the leaves are healthy. The back of the heads are still green. My flowers are in Maryland

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