Hollyhocks: "fungus" on leaves, in Central Illinois?

Clinton, IL(Zone 6a)

Hi...
I have a beautiful stand of Old Fashioned Hollyhocks on my side yard, where they come up year after year. This is the FIRST year I've seen this curious, UGLY condition: bright yellow spot-blotches all over the leaves, and the undersides have parallel grey "fuzzy" (looked like spider egg sacs at first glance) ring-spots. On some, these are turning into HOLES. I'm not sure whether I have a pest eating through the leaves, a disease, or fungus, or what....?

We HAVE had a terribly rainy Spring in Central Illinois this year (2008); no flooding in my neighborhood, but we're close to areas where there has been a LOT. When the rains stopped and it got SUNNY and HOT, that's when these turned up (in the past couple weeks)... Any ideas??
It does not seem to be hurting the overall plant or flowers, but you can SEE this blight from the STREET, and it's plain ugly and embarassing.... ;-(

jipsi

This message was edited Jul 1, 2008 11:38 AM

Thumbnail by jipsi
Dublin, CA(Zone 9a)

The yellow stuff is probably rust, it's something that many hollyhocks are very prone to.

The Woodlands, TX(Zone 9a)

Here's some more information for you:
http://www.ppdl.org/dd/id/hollyhock_rust-hollyhock.html

Clinton, IL(Zone 6a)

Sounds like it's too late to fix it THIS year, then (EVERY plant, leaf, etc. is infected, it seems).
As well, I'll have to promise myself that I will get someone out there this Fall to take down (and dispose of) the stalks and dead material to the ground to keep this at a minimum for NEXT year's Hollyhocks... ;-(

Thanks for the info, the link was dead-on, most helpful.

jipsi

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