Seriously deformed leaf

17 years ago

One of my plants has a really deformed leaf, it's growing in a spiral. It's the only one and the new leaves that are coming out look normal. Does anyone know what would cause a leaf to look like this and should I remove it?

Karyn

Featured Answer

Michael Thailing

6 years ago

My apologies. I went to Google and typed in a description of my plants and this was the first link that came up, so I chimed in. If I find that your advice does not work I will look more into this form and create a new thread. My apologies once again.

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Comments (15)

kbauman
17 years ago
Hi Karyn,
wow.. you got a new one there. I thought I had some wierds..but this is a new one..Well..my comment is. Is there something in there?? I would carefully unroll it and see what is is in there...oh my..will wait for the other comments.
Karen B.
karyn1
Original Author
17 years ago
Karen isn't that a strange one?! I don't think there's a critter in there, but I haven't unrolled it to check. That leaf was growing in a weird way from the get go and I don't see any kind of webbing or frass coming out.

I have another plumeria that's equally strange. I'll post a pic. It's a seedling that didn't develop properly. The cotyledons never seperated and they have formed a "bowl" shape. No true leaves are growing but it hasn't died and it's about 4 weeks old. I realize that it will never grow but it's kind of cool looking. I've also had a couple albino seedlings but they die fairly quickly.
Karyn
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kbauman
17 years ago
Hi Karyn,
I don't know what cytledons is..read your other message..hope someone came in and advised you what to do..sadly is a neat look. ha but not cool. Did not know that plumies were that sensitive.
Karen B.
kasiec
17 years ago
Into my 3rd growing season and my favorite this year...funky looking leaves.

Kasie
kbauman
17 years ago
Hi Kasie,
wow what an odd looking plant, but as you said, kind of funky!!! has it ever bloomed? 3rd season, does that mean 3rd year? you said something did form when growing from seed? wow what a plant,
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greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
17 years ago
Hi there Karyn, looks to me as if your large plumie has some sort of virus that is making the leaves deform if it is, have you got 2 like this or is it 2 pics of the same plant....have they come from the same seeds/cuttings? I hope that it wouldn't spread to your other plants. I would keep it well away...but it does look interesting and quite weird!
As for the one with the spiral leaf, we get bugs over in the UK that do this, they are tiny and roll the leaf round like this for protection, personally, I would cut it off and have a peek inside....if you dare! <: o>Oh, by the way, if my memory of our Biology/Botany lessons (my favourite) serves me correctly, cotyledons are the 'seed leaves' of a plant, most produce 2 (dicotyledons), others have 1 (monocotyledons), they are the very first leaves that a plant produces and are usually thicker and do not normally resemble the plants 'true' leaves at all.
Hope this helps? After leaving school a FEW years ago...I now realise some of it must have indeed sank in and remained there for future use!! hahaha!
Best wishes to you and the 'freaky plumies', Greenclaws.
karyn1
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi Greenclaws. I only have that one leaf and now it's just a bigger more open spiral. The plant has grown a number of normal leaves since I posted that pic. That other plant with all the strange looking leaves isn't mine. Those pics were posted by Kasie. I agree, that plant looks like it's been affected by something.

I did take a look to see if any critters had made a home in the leaf but there was nothing. It appears that there was some sort of damage to the vein running down the center of the leaf that caused it to curl early on. I'm pretty sure all the leaves will be falling off my plumies soon, as the temps are dropping : (
Karyn
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
17 years ago
I've had spiders roll leaves over and 'glue' them together with their webbing. Also, this time of year as the weather gets cooler, sometimes the leaves just don't develop as well as they do in warmer weather when they're growing quickly.
kasiec
17 years ago
There are no bugs in the leaves. This is a close up photo. It was a large cutting and no inflo at the moment. The other plant has an inflo and is producing some pencil thin leaves. Both plants comes from the same back yard but in different part of the yard.

Kasie
karyn1
Original Author
17 years ago
Kasie that top plant is definitely the strangest looking plumie that I've ever seen. I thought my one spiral leaf was weird, it's nothing compared to that! lol The other plant looks pretty normal except for those four skinny leaves. Have you sent a pic to anywhere to find out what the cause is? Maybe the Plumeria Society or some university gardening extension could identify it for you.
Karyn
kasiec
17 years ago
Hi karyn1 - I've only post on GW to share this funny looking leaves...that's all. My friend Jackie always seems to have something different every growing season. This plant is now in a 15 gallon bucket. For the time being, we'll just have to monitor this funky looking Plumeria.

Kasiw
romkruse69
6 years ago
Second year with this plumeria last year leafed out and bloomed. This year the leaves are almost finger like that are long and thick. I have checked and there are no bugs of any kind, has anyone seen this before?
Michael Thailing
6 years ago
I have two different types of plumeria plants growing side by side. Both plants have hundreds of pencil like leaves. The temps here in FL have been well over 95 for a few weeks now. Both plants are 3 years old and have produced leaves as well as flowers each season beautifully. but for some reason, after these plants bloomed and lost its flowers they started producing these long pencil leaves. There are in direct sunlight from about 8am-1pm. I try to water them about once a week, occasionally every other week, as well as the normal FL afternoon shower.

I'm guessing too much heat??
PRO
the_first_kms2
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I recommend both of you start a new post instead of tagging onto a post from 2006. It is more likely to be seen that way. It would seem to me to be unlikely its an issue with too much heat. If provided sufficient water Plumeria can survive full summers of triple digit temps. Supposed to be 102F today for me and I have never experienced similar issues.

Whatever it is it happened at the same time to both plants. It is a deficiency in water/nutrients, or insects, or herbicide overspray or a combination of those items. Sorry but there isn't a cut and dry answer here.

Since these appear to be in ground I recommend watering 3x per week (or more) and providing a general purpose fertilizer to help the plants recover a week after you increase watering. The older pudica leaves look ok but the traditional plumeria leaves appear to me to be too dry. After a week of rehydrating you should also spray plants with neem oil or other insect treatments in the evening hours to reduce that possible cause.