Magnolia Bush Scale and Sooty Mold: Systemic Insecticide

Chicago magnolia bush: silvery wart bumps on lower branches, foul soil odor, flies. Blooms well in spring. Diagnosis Warty bumps = scale insects (scrape off with nail). Odor & flies = honeydew → sooty mold on soil. Fix

Blood Orange Poor Fruiting and Sooty Mold: Shade, Water, Neem

4-year-old blood orange in Spring Hill, FL (shady spot): last year 6 fruit, this year many blooms but most fruitlets dropped at marble size. Leaves turning black. No insects seen. Diagnosis Black leaves = sooty mold from

Bradford Pear Early Red Color: Genetic Variation

40 Bradford pears along NC driveway (10-12 yrs); 2 turned bright red in summer. No fire blight, leaves not dropping. Rest green. Wet summer. Explanation Common in row plantings—some trees genetically different due to pro

Dogwood Decline with Moss: Anthracnose or Stress?

CT dogwood has large moss patches, losing large branches (moist, heavy dead wood). Nearby dogwood fine. Owner fears total loss. Assessment Moss indicates stress, holds moisture → rot from poor air circulation. Remove mo

Live Oak Tip Dieback in Dallas: Drought Response

Dallas live oaks (one huge, one small) show brown leaf clusters on north-facing tops since late May. Trees cut back last year; power lines on north edge. Similar symptoms in alley trees. Diagnosis If rainfall inadequate,

Bougainvillea Uneven Leaf Loss: Water and Insects

Two bougainvilleas 12 ft apart on trellis; one losing leaves bottom-up with new growth returning. Same water/care. No visible insects. Factors Bougainvilleas need water for lush growth—myth they dont. One may be in sand

Weeping Cherry Wilt: Too Much or Too Little Water

Weeping cherry in central Ohio: leaves wilt, yellow. Fungicide applied since March. Rain plentiful. Diagnosis Wilting = water stress (too much or too little). Yellowing suggests excess water → root rot. With rain subsidi

Newly Planted Crabapple Limb Death: Transplant Shock Watering

10-year-old fruitless snow crabapple planted 3 months ago near sprinkler system; 4 limbs dead, leafless. Cause: Insufficient Water for Root Loss Large transplanted trees lose massive roots. Deep water twice weekly (1 inc

Walnut Anthracnose in Central Washington: Late Summer Defoliation

Jims walnuts in hot dry climate (irrigated daily) develop dark leaf spots in late July → larger black areas, stunted growth. Diagnosis: Walnut Anthracnose Caused by Gnomonia leptostyla. Circular brown lesions on leaves (

Philodendron Recurring Leaf Disease: Cultural Care Review

35-year-old philodendron gets chewed spots on leaves every 6 weeks; spots expand rapidly. Early trimming saves leaf. Cat suspected but not confirmed. General Philodendron Needs Medium light (jungle floor); low light → s

Peach Pit Mold: Need Clarification on Symptoms

Toris 2nd-year peach has black mold in hollow pit. Expert asks: mold on fruit? Brownish-gray at blossom end spreading? Holes in skin with black mold? Answers needed for accurate diagnosis.

Calamondin Orange Sticky Leaves: Sucking Insects and Over-Fertilizing

Emilys 3-ft calamondin was healthy 3 months ago; now sticky leaves/fruit, fine webs, leaf/fruit drop, deformed yellowing leaves. Fertilizes every 10 days. Issues Sticky honeydew + webs = sucking insects (scale, mealybug

Red Sunset Maple Raised Red Spots: Insect Galls

Newly planted Red Sunset maple in Chicago suburb has raised hard red spots on leaves. Diagnosis Spots are insect galls—cosmetic, not harmful, may recur yearly. Treatment Apply Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insecticide (imi

Butterfly Bush No Flowers: Pruning Timing or Phosphorus Need

Denver butterfly bush pruned early spring, grows well, forms hundreds of buds but never opens. 3–4 years repeating. First Check: Pruning Time Blooms on new growth tips. Late spring pruning removes buds. Prune in winter

Shamrock Plant Brown Spots: Rust or Spider Mites

Shamrock leaves have brown spots and brown edges. Possibilities Fungal rust: Orange pustules on leaf undersides. Spider mites: Tiny, may leave fine white webbing. Treatment If mites: Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Inse

Oak Tree Webbed Clumps: Fall Webworms, Minor Pest

Oak has 3 hair-net-like webbed leaf clumps; leaves dying inside. Pest: Fall Webworms Make silken webs; 50–100 caterpillars inside. Usually minor damage even in high numbers. Control if Desired Spray reachable webs w

Evergreen Cones with Sap: Normal Reproductive Structures

Black pine-shaped cones, 1.5 inches, very sappy, on evergreen branches. Explanation Immature reproductive cones. Early stages have thick sap coating. Will mature, dry, fall in autumn. Male and female cones both produced

Rapid Plant Deaths in Southern Spain: New Oleander Disease

Mountains of Southern Spain: 6-yr oleander died in week; 2 months later, hedge shrub dying same way; last year pepper tree same. Good drainage, water. No visible pests. Identified Threat New disease in oleander nurserie

Boxwoods Turning Yellow: Root Rot from Overwatering

April-planted boxwoods in new bed; some yellow, two fully yellow. Fertilized with Miracle-Gro in June. Leaky faucet nearby fixed weeks ago. Diagnosis: Root Rot / Boxwood Decline Boxwoods hate wet feet; leak caused wate

Agave Leaf Damage: Nutrient Deficiency or Temperature Extremes

UK south coast agaves (6–7 yrs, 3×3 ft) show upper leaf surface stripped, dry, translucent; underside sap blobs; yellowing/rotting along blade. Affects old and young plants separately. Possible Causes Potassium deficie