Apical stems are thick and assume an upright growth habit.
Infected plants appear bushy because of shortened internodes and small leaves.
Leaves are distorted and yellow-green. Aerial roots may develop on stems. Beet leafhopper transmitted viresence agent, a phytoplasma organism, is transmitted by the beet leafhopper, Circulifer tenellus. Beet leafhopper transmitted viresence agent has a wide host range, including many vegetables and weeds. The disease is dependent on populations of the leafhopper and reservoirs of the mycoplasmalike organism.