ASK THE CHALET PROS

September 18, 2009
My magnolia has whitish bumps all over the stems and the leaves have turned black. What is this?

The whitish bumps are an insect called magnolia scale. Magnolia scale is a sucking insect that attaches to twigs and sucks out plant juices. The blackened leaves are caused by a sooty mold that grows on honeydew that the insect secretes. Prolonged attack by magnolia scale weakens the plant and causes dieback and even death. Fortunately, there are products to control the insect.
Click here for our Magnolia Scale fact sheet.

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