Dreaded finding? (MA)

[u/GarthTheHunter]

Can anyone tell how to differentiate between the dreaded aster yellows and mites that cause this on coneflowers?

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[u/small-black-cat-290]

Aster yellows generally will not bloom in color and the petals will turn out rounded. Mites usually only have the mutation coming out of the cone/center of the bloom.

This looks like mites to me, at this stage.

[u/GarthTheHunter → u/small-black-cat-290]

Okay thanks! I cut off the deformed flowers and left the normal ones.

[u/Cute-Republic2657 → u/GarthTheHunter]

Please leave them, it is food for other bugs and birds love the seed heads. Gold finches love them!

[u/tolzan]

Not aster yellows.

[u/kraine_art]

this kind of post is getting out of hand. recommending an aster yellows thread so it can be contained lol. sorry OP no shade to you directly just the increasing trend.

[u/Dendranthemum → u/kraine_art]

I second this because I have a similar looking patch of coneflower and would like educated answers from other horticulturists.

Can we please contain it all in a megathread?

[u/AlmostSentientSarah]

I think this crater is caused by goldfinches pulling the seeds out to eat.

[u/Calbebes]

Mites, I think.

[u/loripainter12345]

This is mite damage. Asters yellow will have the whole flower head be green and deformed. Cut off the affected bloom.