During World War II, the botanist Vivi Laurent-Tǻckholm together with the Stenlid family ran a "flower club" by the weekly magazine Husmodern. The idea was to use Vivi's botanical contacts and knowledge to offer Swedish housewives rare exotic plants. As a result of rationing, the club also came to...

In the autumn of 2014, in a commercial farm at Albenga (northern Italy), a new disease was observed on 5-month-old potted plants of butterfly lavander (Lavandula stoechas). Initial symptoms consisted of stem necrosis, darkening and withering of the leaves followed by wiltinig of the plants. In the...

In the 1990's, Little Fire Ants (LFAs) found its way to the island of Hawaii, most likely traveling with a shipment of potted plants from Florida. These plants were subsequently sold to consumers along the east coast of the Island, along with Little Fire Ant colonies living in the potting medium....

During the spring of 2013, many plants of common sage (Salvia officinalis), grown as potted plants in a commercial farm at Albenga (northern Italy) showed extensive symptoms of foliar wilt and root rot. The first symptoms developed with temperatures ranging between 8 and 26.5°C, average 17°C, and...

During the summer 2014 and in the following autumn, several leaves and inflorescences belonging to potted plants of Salvia oxyphora cultivated in a private garden located near the city of Biella (Piedmont, northern Italy) showed necrosis caused by Botrytis cinerea. The fungal causal agent was...

In April 2012, the first large chlorotic from the middle necrotic spots occurred gradually on leaves of pot plants of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) cv. Genovese in greenhouses in Central Bohemia. The characteristic gray to brown furry growth of downy mildew appeared on abaxial surfaces of leaves...

In autumn 2012, a survey was conducted to determine the presence of Phytophthora ramorum on Viburnum in commercial nurseries in Latium, Italy, where wilting, dieback, and death of twigs were observed on 30% of the Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) plants. A Phytophthora species was consistently...

A comprehensive analysis of spiders reported as alien for Europe over the last 200 years has yielded information for 184 spider species, which had been introduced at least once. The most common spider families are Theridiidae (27 species), Pholcidae (15), Salticidae (14), Sparassidae (14), Ctenidae ...

In late September 2012, collar and root rot associated with severe wilting and desiccation of foliage were observed on boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) potted plants grown in commercial nurseries in central Italy. Of two hundred boxwood plants observed, more than 50% showed these symptoms, and most had ...

In summer 2011, serious outbreaks of a suspected bacterial leaf spot disease were observed on five Rieger begonia cultivars (Dark Britt, Rebecca, Blitz, Barkos and Borias). These plants were grown for potted cutting seedling production in commercial nurseries located in Shilin county of Yunnan...