Can anyone identify this disease(?) on my buddleia?

[LozengeShaped]

The young growth on my Buddleia has a strange growth abnormality, a bit like a virus. I can't see any aphids. The young leaves are misshapen with yellow-green patches, like some sort of hormone irregularity, but the older leaves are all fine.

What is it??? Thank you!

Maybe capsid bug damage? They feed on new shoots, leaving them distorted. Just a guess.

That's a good suggestion, but I don't think it is.

There're no capsid bugs, and no holes, and the leaves are distorted. A few leaves are rolled, but when I unroll them, there's nothing there.

Yet it's affected the whole plant at the same time. So perhaps it's more a growth regulator thing, or a deficiency? It looks like a virus.

With lack of pest, I agree possibly a virus.

Yes, it's just weird. I'm a little obsessed now! It's almost like some sort of herbicide damage, but that's not possible where it is, and absolutely nothing else is affected.

I have just done my budleia patrol. I'm going to suggest capsid bug even though you've said no capsid bugs. Here's why ...

They love them. Ours is very small sonics easy to find them. But because it's small and I photograph and film bugs I know their behaviour. When I walk up to the small Bush I know what I'm looking for. Bright green bug with antenna. And they know what I loon like. Because as I get close they run around the back of the flower spires. When I walk round the flower head they run round the back. They are invisible. How I catch them and then help them meet their maker is wear a bright blue glove. When I move my hand round the back of the flower the bright blue glove is easily seen and they leg it round the other side ... where I am. Got the OH ro look and none seen. This was last night. I went with them and showed them my trick and we dispatched 8. That was 10pm with a torch. Just done it again now and another 3 have met their maker. I could only find 2 and was about to walk away when as I turned the largest one I've ever seen f'ked up and didn't think I'd look back. Our Bush is tiny. It's the same size as a peddle bin.

However thse guys grow only buddlia and help with issues. They helped solve what was causing ours to go trout a couple of weeks back. and are very kind and helpful. Send them an email with a photo or two and they will no doubt know what it is if it isnt capsid bugs. But remember to come back here and tell us what they said. Good luck

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I goigle image searched your photo as well and this is mentioned quite a lot. Particularly if you are based near Essex. People have found that it is aphids damaging the leaves before they've even started properly and causing them to grow distorted and like yours.

https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1073611/what-is-wrong-with-my-buddleia/p3

quite a few threads on this site showing the same damage.

Trafspelledbackwards Thank you! It is that thing on the Gardener's World forum, and I am near Essex. I'm not convinced it is aphid damage, though. (I'm an ex-agronomist) It's more like a virus.

If not try the budliea people they are great.

Did you find out what it was? Did you solve it? How is it now? Mine is doing exactly the same an particularly on th enes growth. No evidence of bugs at all. I don't know how to help it!!

@LozengeShaped

That looks very like aphid damage, in the original picture, but if you can’t see any aphids under the leaves, maybe not. Since it’s only the young growth, I’d suggest pruning off all the affected growth and throw away (not on your compost heap), sterilise your secateurs, and see what happens.

I contacted the RHS, which said it had had lots of inquiries about this in 2023. The advisor thought aphids were involved, because of the widespread nature and type of damage, and was perhaps noticeable that year because of the large population of aphids. It was either their saliva causing distorted growth, and that effect was lingering after the insects had disappeared, or they were transmitting a virus, as yet unidentified.

Official advice is as MereDintofPandiculation says, but last year, I left the diseased growth out of interest (as my buddleia was originally a weed), and the plant did go on to partly grow out of it, producing flowers.

I just had a look this year, and it does have several large colonies of black aphids being farmed by ants, but the mottled effect has come back on all the new growth, whether infested or not.

It's bizarre isn't it. I don't think. I have aphids and as you say all my new growth is like it like the plant is unwell.

Googling only finds a few photos like it and only on last year or so.

I'm deliberating pruning it) which will be all new growth so what if all new growth comes back like it. I do want it to grow at some point!!!). Poor tree. Maybe it's forgotten how to grow properly.

Have the same problem here in Surrey. Went on a nature walk with botanists and others today in local woods. Same problem on wild buddleia. No one knew what it was, consensus was a virus. More research needed!

Really interesting. I've joined a couple of online groups and seeing similar queries

• there must be something up!

I've trimmed my buddleia back but not compeltely and it doesn't look happy.

I've noticed one of my buddleia has leaves like yours @LozengeShaped I'm in the south though, nowhere near Essex. I wondered if it was because I pruned them much later than normal this year, but I have another one at the other end of my garden which hasn't got them. I'll have a closer look to see if I can see anything on them.

I've got this on one of my 3 buddleia; it's definitely black aphids farmed by ants on mine.

I'm just googling farmed by ants 😬😮.

Do I need to kill the ants??

No, they just like the honeydew the aphids produce (read aphid poo); so they protect the aphids from predators & essentially farm them.
If you get rid of the aphids, the ants will find another food source.

Here you can see the aphids, ants & damaged leaves.

My brand-new buddleia (bought online) is exactly the same. Shrivelled-up leaves with pale yellow-green blotches. Really frustrating! I also noticed it on a dwarf fruit tree I bought from the same place.

I'm going to cut it right back as that has seemed to work for the fruit tree. Very annoying, though.

I know this is an oldish thread but I’ve noted same on my buddlea and RHS are concerned and doing research - asking people to report…https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/aphids-on-buddleja

Yes mine is back and trh tops are the same... Grrr.

Mine too!

I've filled out the rhs form with some photos (you can upload 3) Thanks for sharing that.

Anyone know best ideas now. I could cut the tops off where they are but will that mean no flowers??

I've had this too - North Kent. I cut off the affected parts, knowing buddleia are really tough, essentially it's had a slightly early Chelsea chop. I had the black aphids being farmed by ants, and the curly, puckered leaves with yellow bits. If I'd known the RHS were doing research on this I would have left it and reported it. I am under no illusions that the problem is solved because I've pruned it - I reckon they will be back. I also have the little blighters on the willow. I've bought this ladybird food you can smear on the plant to attract ladybirds, hoping that will work. We used to get masses of ladybird larvae on the willow but last year had to pollard it right back as it was top heavy and a storm blew it over - am hoping they will come back this year and deal with the problem. You can actually buy ladybird and lacewing larvae online specifically for this problem, but I felt a bit weird about it so I didn't...