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Fungal
Lavender Shab Disease
Commonly affects: Lavandula angustifolia / L. x intermedia (Lavender)
Individual stems wilt and die back suddenly while the rest of the plant looks healthy, sometimes with small black fungal fruiting bodies visible on the dead stem.
Potential Causes
- 1A specific fungal disease (Phoma lavandulae) causing sudden, localised stem death, more common in humid climates with lavender grown at scale
- 2Spread via wind, rain splash, or contaminated tools between plants
- 3More prevalent in older, denser plantings with poor airflow
Solution Steps
- 1Prune out and destroy affected stems promptly, cutting back into clearly healthy wood
- 2Sterilise pruning tools between cuts and between different plants to avoid spreading the fungus
- 3Improve air circulation through appropriate spacing and regular pruning
- 4Remove and destroy severely affected plants if the disease is widespread, since it can persist and spread to nearby lavender
Prevention Tip
Shab disease's telltale sign is a single stem dying while the rest of the plant looks fine â prompt removal of just that stem, with sterilised tools, usually contains it.
