Pest identification
What's eating my blanket flower?
Aphids
Signs: Soft colonies on stem tips and flower stalks; sticky honeydew, wilted or curled leaves.
Control: Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; introduce beneficial insects; remove heavily infested stems.
Leafhoppers
Signs: Fine white stippling across leaf surface giving a bleached or bronze look; adults jump when disturbed.
Control: Reflective mulch to deter adults; pyrethrin spray for heavy infestations; keep weeds down as alternate hosts.
Rabbits
Signs: Clean-cut stems near ground level; flower heads and upper shoots eaten off.
Control: Low wire-mesh fencing around beds; repellent sprays containing predator urine; plant rabbit-repellent neighbors such as catmint.
Keep blanket flower pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Blanket flower pests — FAQ
What is eating my blanket flower?
Blanket flower is most frequently troubled by aphids on flower stems and leafhoppers that cause stippled, pale foliage. Powdery mildew can follow pest stress in dry spells. Deer and rabbits occasionally browse the blooms. Overall it is a tough, drought-tolerant plant that rarely suffers severe pest damage.
How do I get rid of aphids on blanket flower?
Soft colonies on stem tips and flower stalks; sticky honeydew, wilted or curled leaves. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; introduce beneficial insects; remove heavily infested stems.
How do I get rid of leafhoppers on blanket flower?
Fine white stippling across leaf surface giving a bleached or bronze look; adults jump when disturbed. Reflective mulch to deter adults; pyrethrin spray for heavy infestations; keep weeds down as alternate hosts.
How do I get rid of rabbits on blanket flower?
Clean-cut stems near ground level; flower heads and upper shoots eaten off. Low wire-mesh fencing around beds; repellent sprays containing predator urine; plant rabbit-repellent neighbors such as catmint.