What's eating my cardboard palm?

Cardboard Palm (Zamia furfuracea), a cycad not a true palm, is most seriously threatened by scale insects, which are notorious pests of all cycads and can quickly colonise the stiff, leathery leaflets. Mealybugs and spider mites also attack. Scale infestations can be stubborn and persistent, requiring systematic treatment over several weeks.

Tan, brown, or white oval bumps on leaflets, rachises, and the trunk caudex; yellowing fronds; sticky honeydew and sooty mold in humid rooms. Scrub scales off leaves and trunk with a stiff brush and isopropyl alcohol. Apply horticultural oil or neem oil spray to all surfaces; repeat every three weeks for at least three rounds to catch crawlers.

White cottony wax deposits at the base of leaflets and within crown folds; honeydew on surrounding leaves; weakened or distorted new fronds. Dab visible colonies with an alcohol-soaked cotton swab. Spray the whole plant with insecticidal soap or neem oil, paying special attention to the crown and leaflet bases. Repeat every 10 days.

Fine stippling and a dull appearance on the leathery leaflets; visible webbing on the undersides in dry indoor conditions. Increase humidity and rinse leaflets with a damp cloth or shower. Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray every 7 days for three cycles; the thick leaflets tolerate treatment well.