Impatiens

Key warning symptoms:

• Dark rings
• Black stems
• Distorted leaves

Impatiens necrotic spot virus, spread by thrips, accounts for most of the virus infections we detect in impatiens. Symptoms vary greatly. Common symptoms in garden impatiens include dirty-looking, dark-colored rings, black stem sections, distorted leaves, and leaves that drop off. In New Guinea impatiens, symptoms can include brown mottled patterns, distorted leaves, dead stem sections, stunting and an unthrifty appearance. Tomato spotted wilt virus, which is closely related and also spread by thrips, causes a similar array of symptoms.

Tobacco streak virus, although fairly common in impatiens, usually produces only a faint mosaic pattern on the undersides of leaves, or no symptoms at all.

Impatiens Screen (8 tests)

Other tests available for impatiens are: