Pest identification
What's eating my noble aeonium?
Mealybugs
Signs: Cottony white wax deposits nestled where broad leaves meet the central stem; leaf yellowing and reduced growth.
Control: Treat each colony precisely with an isopropyl alcohol swab; spray the whole rosette and stem with diluted neem oil; re-treat after 10 days.
Scale Insects
Signs: Hard or soft brown bumps fixed on the thick stem; sap removal causes leaf yellowing and a sticky surface.
Control: Scrape off with a fingernail or soft brush; apply neem oil or horticultural oil as a follow-up treatment.
Aphids
Signs: Soft-bodied insects massing on young central leaves of the rosette during active growth; distorted new foliage.
Control: Rinse off with water; use insecticidal soap spray; check the growing centre regularly in spring and early summer.
Spider Mites
Signs: Pale stippling on the large leaf surfaces; very fine webbing at leaf bases in hot dry indoor conditions.
Control: Wipe leaves with a damp cloth; mist the area around the plant to raise humidity; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap spray.
Keep noble aeonium pest-free
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Noble Aeonium pests — FAQ
What is eating my noble aeonium?
Noble Aeonium (Aeonium nobile) is a large-rosette succulent grown as a houseplant and is most vulnerable to mealybugs hiding in the broad, fleshy leaf bases of its impressive rosette. Scale insects can colonise its stout stem. Aphids sometimes target the central new growth. In dry conditions indoors, spider mites are an additional risk. Mealybugs are the primary threat.
How do I get rid of mealybugs on noble aeonium?
Cottony white wax deposits nestled where broad leaves meet the central stem; leaf yellowing and reduced growth. Treat each colony precisely with an isopropyl alcohol swab; spray the whole rosette and stem with diluted neem oil; re-treat after 10 days.
How do I get rid of scale insects on noble aeonium?
Hard or soft brown bumps fixed on the thick stem; sap removal causes leaf yellowing and a sticky surface. Scrape off with a fingernail or soft brush; apply neem oil or horticultural oil as a follow-up treatment.
How do I get rid of aphids on noble aeonium?
Soft-bodied insects massing on young central leaves of the rosette during active growth; distorted new foliage. Rinse off with water; use insecticidal soap spray; check the growing centre regularly in spring and early summer.
How do I get rid of spider mites on noble aeonium?
Pale stippling on the large leaf surfaces; very fine webbing at leaf bases in hot dry indoor conditions. Wipe leaves with a damp cloth; mist the area around the plant to raise humidity; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap spray.