Fungus Resistant Plants

Crape myrtle is a popular ornamental tree because of its resistance to powdery mildew.white crape myrtle image by tomcat2170 from Fotolia.com

There are many different plants that are resistant to one type of fungus or another. Some are especially notable because they are resistant to fungi that would normally affect similar plants. There are also some plants being developed through genetic modification to make them resistant to specific fungi. Fungi can cause problems like powdery mildew, wilt, and smut, which can cause cosmetic damage and potentially the death of the plant.

Genetic Modification

Wheat and corn (maize) are often affected by a type of fungi called smut. These fungi infect the seeds and continue to live and infect future generations if the seeds are sown. Smut fungi spores can be dispersed via the weather, or by smaller farmers sowing infected crops, so this can be a problem in poorer countries. Corn that is infected with smut also has a virus that lives on the fungi. This virus needs to protect the plant from being infected by other fungi, so it creates a protein that keeps other fungi out. The viral gene is being isolated to add to wheat crops as well, which will make it a fungus-resistant crop by genetic modification.

Many flowering trees and other plants are susceptible to powdery mildews, which are fungi that affect a number of ornamental plants. They produce a white covering on the leaves of the plant that can spread to other parts, causing major damage. Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is a flowering tree that can range from 10 to 30 feet tall, and has small flowers that bloom in several colors. A few varieties of crape myrtle are resistant to powdery mildew; they are a good choice when deciding which type of ornamental tree you’d like to plant in your yard.

Sycamores belong to the genus Platanus. The hybrid London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia) and Oriental sycamore or Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) are resistant to a serious fungus called verticillium wilt. It causes sudden wilting and browning of the leaves in a seemingly healthy tree. The disease lives in the roots and soil, and can remain there for up to 15 years. This could affect future trees planted in the area after your first one dies. Sycamore is a good choice to plant, due to its high resistance to the disease. Other trees that have resistance include beech, ginkgo, pear and white oak.