What's eating my cotinus coggygria 'golden spirit'?

'Golden Spirit' smoke bush shares the genus's general resilience, but aphids are the most frequent visitor, clustering on tender new growth. The golden-lime foliage is also attractive to some caterpillar species. Verticillium wilt can collapse entire branches; affected wood should be pruned out immediately.

Dense colonies on young shoot tips; honeydew, leaf curl, and encouraged sooty mould on stems. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; attract ladybirds by planting nectar plants nearby.

Holes and ragged edges in the distinctive golden-lime leaves; frass present under affected growth. Hand-pick larvae and egg masses; apply Bt as a targeted spray for larger populations.

Hard or waxy bumps on bark; branch dieback and sooty mould following honeydew deposits. Apply dormant horticultural oil in late winter; remove badly encrusted stems by pruning.