Question From: m. sholtes - Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Q: This late spring we purchased a Red Honeysuckle at Lowe's. It looked healthy we planted it appeared to be doing fine. Went on vacation for a week and a half came home to find the plant nearly dead. Leaves have yellowed/curled and white fur like stuff on the back of leaves. Every leaf has this and not many left on the plant. My question: can the plant be saved? We live in Raleigh, NC we've had lots of rain and now it's extremly humid.
A: I can't tell you whether the plant will live, but I can tell you the white fuzz is powdery mildew. If it has lost most of the leaves already I would dig and return the plant to Lowe's and start fresh in fall. Newly planted plants need to be watered well until they become established. In hot weather that might be every day or every other day. If it did not rain while you were gone and nobody watered the plant it suffered from lack of water. The powdery mildew attacked that stressed plant. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy
