Question

vines   Hi Melissa

Warm Greetings from Malaysia.

Appreciate very much if you could assist to identify the source of this problem (virus/bacteria/Malnutrition)of a creeper vines, Bauhina Kockiana, very common in the Tropics.

I planted it from young plants with profuse flowers bought from a nursery, plant into ground and it has grown and creeps up the fence, but only flower a little and I guess this problem which has affected the entire foliage has something to do with it not flowering and the plant looks sickly.

Appreciate your feedback and remedy if any.

Look forward to your advice.

Dennis

Answer
Dear Dennis,  This should be a much easier question than it actually is.  Normally from the look of the leaf, I would suspect a fungus first, however, all the information on this particular plant say that it just doesn't get diseases.  I would also think that perhaps some small bug, perhaps a caterpillar, snail, or small beetle had chewed on the underside of the leaf.  According to all the plant data bases, the most likely problem with this plant would be sunstroke.  However, it appears the damage is on the bottom of the leaf as opposed to the top of the leaf.  If this plant is in a sunny spot as it should be for good flowers it should be well watered because they do suffer when stressed for water and cause the sunstroke condition which will damage the leaves.  On the other hand if the plant is in a shady and very soggy spot, it could actually be suffering from overwatering which could be causing this problem.  If you see a lot of snails or slugs nearby, they could be making the damage.  If, however, it is just this one plant that looks like this and is causing you problems, it would be best to simply pull up this one plant and discard it.  You could get another one and start over, and you probably won't have this problem again.  I'm sorry I can't pinpoint your problem exactly, but I would try to eliminate the possibilities that don't fit the situation, and what you are left with is the most likely culprit.  I hope this helps you somewhat, but write back if you have more questions.  Good luck, Melissa