What's eating my philodendron verrucosum?

Philodendron verrucosum's large, velvety leaves are magnets for spider mites and thrips indoors. Both pests exploit its broad leaf surface and the warm, sometimes dry air of indoor growing spaces. Mealybugs attack nodes. Because leaves are hard to replace, catching infestations at the first sign is critical for this collector plant.

Pale stippling and bronzing across the velvet surface; fine webbing visible on the underside of leaves; leaves may shrivel in severe cases. Raise humidity to 70%+ and shower the plant. Apply neem oil or a miticide to both sides of every leaf every 5–7 days for 3–4 weeks. Avoid locating near heating vents.

Silver or bronze streaking and scarring on leaf surfaces; tiny dark frass dots on the underside; new leaves emerge distorted or with necrotic patches. Remove heavily affected leaves. Apply spinosad or insecticidal soap to all leaf surfaces weekly. Yellow sticky traps help monitor adult populations. Repeat for 4–6 weeks.

White waxy clusters at nodes, petiole bases, and along the fuzzy red stems; honeydew and sooty mold on surrounding leaves. Treat colonies with 70% isopropyl alcohol on cotton swabs, then follow with neem oil or insecticidal soap spray on a weekly schedule for 3–4 cycles.