What's eating my giant rainbow plant?

Giant Rainbow Plant (Byblis gigantea) is a perennial Western Australian carnivore with highly sticky foliage that traps small insects naturally. Its main pest vulnerabilities are aphids and mealybugs on stems beyond the sticky zone, and damping-off fungus on young plants. Fungus gnats breed in substrate but are less significant than for non-sticky species.

Colonies establish on flower stalks and upper stem tips above the densest glandular zone; distorted buds and honeydew deposits are the tell-tale signs Dab with isopropyl alcohol swab or rinse flower stalks with distilled water; apply insecticidal soap only to infested non-glandular stem sections

White waxy clusters at stem bases and woody sections where glandular hairs are sparse; established perennial plants weaken over months of undetected infestation Swab colonies with isopropyl alcohol; drench soil with imidacloprid systemic insecticide for root mealybugs; inspect woody basal stems at each seasonal repotting

Kills seedlings and young plants by rotting the base stem; older established B. gigantea are more resistant but poor drainage can trigger crown rot Ensure excellent drainage in substrate; apply copper-based fungicide drench to seedlings; improve airflow around base of plant; avoid waterlogging the crown