V. dahliae is more important in Connecticut than V. albo-atrum . Both fungi infect potato and many other plant species, including tomato, eggplant, strawberry, many trees and many common weeds. Grasses, corn, other grains, and certain legumes are not hosts of either fungus. This disease is serious, especially in cool climates. It was first reported in 1914 in Germany, but was not given a lot of attention until the 1950s, mostly due to the difficulty in telling it apart from fusarium wilt.
Symptoms usually begin at about flowering time.
The wilt may occur on only one stem of a plant, or only on the leaves on one side of a stem. Generally, the lower leaves wilt first and the wilt progresses up the plant over time. When temperatures are cooler and the soil is moist, the plants may not wilt. In this case, the major symptoms will be a yellowing of the lower leaves, which will later wither and die. These symptoms, too, will progress up the plant.