Cladosporium paeoniae

Beautiful peony displays are sometimes marred by several diseases with the most notorious being Peony Leaf Blotch caused by the fungus Graphiopsis chlorocephala (formerly Cladosporium paeoniae). The fungus is also responsible for producing other diseases on peonies with different common names depending on the symptoms.

When many of us think of Garden Peonies (Paeonia spp.), a grandmother's garden may come to mind. These non-natives have been around for a long time. It's not unusual to find clumps of peonies growing where old homes once stood. However, this old group of perennial flowering plants has seen a resurgence in recent years along with several diseases.

Peony leaf blotch disease is caused by the fungus Graphiopsis chlorocephala (formerly Cladosporium paeoniae). The fungus produces diseases with different names depending on the symptoms.