What's eating my laburnum × watereri 'vossii'?

Laburnum × watereri 'Vossii' is vulnerable to laburnum leaf miner, aphids, and mealy bugs on protected specimens. All parts of laburnum are highly toxic — pests rarely matter more than keeping children and pets away from seed pods. Leaf miners cause cosmetic damage; aphids are the most frequently reported nuisance.

Pale blister-like mines meandering across leaflets; heavily mined leaves turn brown and drop from midsummer. Collect and bin affected leaves promptly; pyrethroid spray in late spring targets adult moths before egg-laying; no control usually needed on established trees.

Curled, distorted growing tips; colonies of black or greenish aphids on shoot tips; sooty mold on honeydew. Pinch out heavily infested tips; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil; encourage natural predators such as ladybirds.

Sudden wilting and death of individual branches, sometimes attributed to environmental stress exacerbated by wood borers. Prune out dead wood well below the discoloration; sterilize tools between cuts; no pesticide cure — focus on tree vigor.