Question
Hello Melissa. I have a small Hibiscus shrub that has a clumps of feathery white fungus up the stems. Have you got any idea what this is and how it can be treated? I live in the UK.

Answer
Dear Gary, I do indeed know what this is and surprisingly it isn't fungus.  You have mealybugs, which is a slow moving form of scale, a type of insect.  If you take a cotton swab dipped in alcohol and hold it to the mealybug, it will make the white fluff disappear.  You can kill them this way, but it is very time consuming and is really only recommended for houseplants.  The best way to get rid of mealybugs is to spray the entire plant with a lightweight horticultural oil.  Be sure to spray the tops and bottoms of leaves, and concentrate on the stems and leaf nodes where the insects concentrate.  You may have to spray several times about a week apart to get rid of them, but this method will work.  I hope this information helps, but be sure to write back if you have more questions.  Good luck, Melissa