What's eating my cyperus involucratus?

Umbrella plant grown indoors is most threatened by spider mites, especially in dry air. Mealybugs and scale insects also attack the stems and leaf bracts. Fungus gnats breed in the consistently moist soil this plant prefers. Keep humidity high and inspect regularly to catch infestations early.

Fine webbing on stems and bracts; foliage turns pale, stippled, or yellow in dry conditions Raise humidity, mist foliage, and wipe down with a damp cloth; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap spray, repeating weekly until clear

White cottony clusters at stem joints and leaf axils; sticky honeydew residue and weakened growth Dab individual colonies with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol; follow up with insecticidal soap spray every 5–7 days

Larvae chew fine roots in waterlogged soil; adult gnats swarm around the plant but cause little direct leaf damage Allow the top 1–2 cm of soil to dry slightly between waterings; use yellow sticky traps for adults and apply Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) drench for larvae