What's eating my rose of sharon?

Rose of Sharon is most commonly damaged by Japanese beetles, which skeletonize foliage and chew flowers, and by aphids that cluster on new growth. Whitefly can be problematic in warm climates. Deer browse the flowers and foliage heavily; the shrub is considered a deer favorite in many gardens.

Skeletonized leaves with only the veins remaining; flowers chewed and browning; large group feeding can defoliate entire shrubs in peak season Hand-pick beetles into soapy water in early morning; avoid Japanese beetle traps near the plant; apply neem oil as a repellent; use milky spore or beneficial nematodes to target grubs in lawn

Sticky, distorted shoot tips and curled young leaves; sooty mold develops on honeydew; ants signal a colony Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; introduce or encourage ladybugs and lacewings; knock off with a strong water spray

Browsing of flower buds, flowers, and young stems; repeated visits strip a shrub of all blooms during flowering season Apply deer-repellent sprays containing putrescent egg solids; rotate repellent products; install deer fencing in high-pressure areas

Tiny white insects cloud up when foliage is disturbed; yellowing leaves with sticky honeydew and sooty mold coating Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil at dusk; use yellow sticky traps to monitor populations; introduce parasitic wasps (Encarsia formosa) in greenhouse settings