What's eating my purple passion plant?

Purple Passion Plant's soft, purple-haired stems are a magnet for aphids and whiteflies, both of which cluster on new growth and undersides of leaves. Spider mites and mealybugs also attack. Wipe the plant regularly with a soft cloth — the velvety hairs trap debris and pests — and treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap.

Clusters of small soft-bodied insects on new growth; distorted or curling young leaves; sticky honeydew on stems. Knock off with a strong water spray. Apply insecticidal soap solution to all stems and leaf undersides, repeating every five to seven days. Avoid over-fertilising with nitrogen, which promotes soft growth aphids love.

Tiny white moth-like insects that cloud up when disturbed; yellowing leaves; sticky residue and sooty mould on leaf surfaces. Use yellow sticky traps to monitor and reduce adult numbers. Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray to undersides of leaves where eggs and nymphs hide. Repeat weekly.

Yellow stippling on the leaf surface; fine webbing on stems and leaf undersides, particularly in hot, dry conditions. Rinse the plant in the shower. Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil, being careful not to let the solution pool in the hairy leaf surface. Increase humidity around the plant.

White cottony masses sheltering in leaf axils and along stems; honeydew and weakening of new growth. Use a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol to remove each cluster. Spray with insecticidal soap and repeat every 10 days until clear.