Healthy Plants Vs. Wilted Plants

Vascular Plants

• Vascular plants are plants that contain bundles of organic tubes called xylem that are used to transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Trees, shrubs, vegetables, flowers and houseplants are all vascular plants. They take up water from their roots and internal pressures attract the water to areas where it is needed. When water can't reach the furthest points of the plant, such as leaves, these plants will become limp.

Causes of Wilt

• Drought often comes to mind as the primary cause of wilt. While this is often the case, there are many other reasons that a plant will wilt. Root or crown rot, for example, interrupt water transport by causing the death of transport tissues -- rot is often initiated by overwatering. Fungus such as Fusarium or Verticilium invade tissues and multiply until they plug up water transport channels. Boring insects and stem breakage can also cause wilt by destroying the xylem tissues to individual areas of the plant.

Wilt and Stress

• Wilt is a major problem for plants because water is vital for many of their internal processes. Without water, nutrients cannot be brought up from the surrounding soils, nor can the plant photosynthesize normally. Growth then slows, or stops entirely. The stress of wilt causes plants to become more sensitive to insect and pathogen attacks, which can cause further wilting and death.

Dealing with Wilt

• Wilt that is caused by a simple lack of water can be cured by providing supplemental water during drought. Do not overwater or allow a plant to stand in a puddle because oxygen is also required for proper water transport. In the case of insects, often a broad-spectrum insecticide can be applied, depending on the insect. Fungal disease is more difficult to cure and is often fatal. In the future, select plants that are more resistant to fungal infection and plant them in an area that is not known to be infected.