Pest identification
What's eating my lemmon's marigold?
Spider mites (Tetranychus urticae)
Signs: Pale stippling and bronzing on leaves; fine webbing under leaves in severe infestations
Control: Do not let plants dry out; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap; blast with water spray early morning
Aphids
Signs: Soft colonies on shoot tips; honeydew and slight distortion of new growth
Control: Hand-crush small colonies; insecticidal soap; attract beneficial insects with nearby flowering herbs
Caterpillars (various Lepidoptera)
Signs: Ragged holes chewed in leaves; frass (droppings) visible near feeding sites
Control: Hand-pick; Bt spray (kurstaki) on foliage when caterpillars are small; encourage birds
Keep lemmon's marigold pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Lemmon's marigold pests — FAQ
What is eating my lemmon's marigold?
Lemmon's marigold (Tagetes lemmonii), a shrubby perennial from the US Southwest and Mexico, is highly aromatic and largely pest-resistant. Spider mites can attack in hot, dry conditions. Aphids occasionally appear on new growth, and caterpillars may chew foliage. Deer and rabbits usually avoid the strongly scented leaves.
How do I get rid of spider mites (tetranychus urticae) on lemmon's marigold?
Pale stippling and bronzing on leaves; fine webbing under leaves in severe infestations Do not let plants dry out; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap; blast with water spray early morning
How do I get rid of aphids on lemmon's marigold?
Soft colonies on shoot tips; honeydew and slight distortion of new growth Hand-crush small colonies; insecticidal soap; attract beneficial insects with nearby flowering herbs
How do I get rid of caterpillars (various lepidoptera) on lemmon's marigold?
Ragged holes chewed in leaves; frass (droppings) visible near feeding sites Hand-pick; Bt spray (kurstaki) on foliage when caterpillars are small; encourage birds