I don't know what the birds and bees have been up to...............or is hybridizing the culprit?

Years ago, I had a green coneflower. It always bloomed green. Never had any other issues. I posted about it on gardenweb, and contacted Tony Avent of Plant Delights. He said it was a case of Aster Yellows disease. Well, a few years later, hybridizers started coming out with all these new colors of echinacea, and one of them was green like my plant!
Don't know if yours has aster yellows or not. What is the name of that echinacea? Is it supposed to have petals on top? Like Doppelganger?

Looks like a new hybrid double decker coneflower. Dosn't really look sick.

I think that is asters yellow. where is clint, he would know for sure.

Definitely looks like aster yellows. Bad news. Google it, Anna. Probably best to remove and destroy the plant. Trash it, don't compost it. And carefully watch any others you might have.
http://www.mobot.org/gardening...

Karen

Oh. Wow, looks like you are right, should have looked it up. It just didn't look like a sick plant to me! I will email Clint and read the following while we wait.

http://www.mobot.org/gardening...

Dig it out ASAP. Insects can spread it to your other plants.

So what should we be focused on, if we want to prevent this?

I'm not sure you can really prevent it. But it is spread by leafhoppers.

Karen

Oh, it said something about weeds when I was reading the article:
#4,
Remove weeds in your lawn, garden, and surrounding areas, including plantain and dandelion that may harbor the disease.

The disease is related to Rose Rosette Disease. You really don't want that one. I have lost 12 roses to that disease.

I have an article about keeping this disease down. I have had good results doing the things in the article.

http://cubits.org/echinaceas/a...

The leafhopper is our enemy. I hate those things!

Yuck!! Well it's good mine are in pots and getting ready for a neat and clean flower bed. Hoping to keep it weed free.

Thankyou for your ID and information. I didn't remember that I had posted it here since I usually stay on Texas Gardening and kept looking there and finally reposted. You guys are awesome. I did end up removing them. I am not sure about the bug b gone b/c of my dogs and eliminating beneficial insects. I guess I have to be better about weeding.

Is this also asters yellow? The plant is 'Green Jewel'.

I don't think so, but wait for a second opinion. Could be mites, how bout browsing the coneflower forum?

http://cubits.org/echinaceas/t...

I'm not so sure, either. I think eventually the cones develop those weird little tufts of green that grow up like flowers on flowers. I'd watch it for a while I think. At least until you're sure.
http://cubits.org/echinaceas/a...

Karen

Just the petals seemed deformed on this one. It also has normal flowers on the same plant.