So wow, I've been in the dark. I googled echinacea aster yellows and turns out my plants have had this for years. I just thought the deformities were just something quirky about Echinaceas. It never seemed that bad, most of the plant seemed healthy. Just some deformed blooms. But, then I thought back and I did have some that got sickly. I dug them up and put them in the "nursery". Some made it, some didn't. Those that recovered I planted out again.
After reading this last night and more on Google I sadly decided to cull the plants showing signs, even though some only had two or three buds/blooms and were otherwise gorgeous. This morning I dug out 10 beauties. I tried to console myself with the usual, "Its an opportunity for a new plant!" or give surrounding plants some more room to expand. Still I'm bummed.
Part of me debated keeping the plants. I tried to rationalize that disease is always going to be part of a garden and the aster yellows weren't that devastating, especially since I've had it around for years! And actually I'm second guessing removing all of them time to time this morning.
But its done and I have to move on. But now I'm seriously reconsidering buying any more echinaceas.
