What's eating my skimmia pabella?

Skimmia japonica 'Pabella' is susceptible to the same pests as other skimmia cultivars. Spider mites cause the most visible damage — bronze, stippled foliage — especially in warm, dry spells or under cover. Vine weevil is a serious threat in pots. Scale insects and occasional aphids round out the pest list. Regular monitoring keeps problems manageable.

Leaves turn speckled, pale, and bronze-toned from beneath; fine webbing appears under leaves in peak infestations. Increase humidity; wash leaves with water. Apply biological predators (Phytoseiulus persimilis) or acaricide if infestation is severe.

Notched leaf margins from adult feeding; grub damage to roots causes plant to wilt and collapse, mainly in container-grown specimens. Apply nematode drench (Steinernema kraussei) to moist compost in late summer or autumn.

Brown or white waxy scales on stems reduce plant vigour and leave sticky honeydew that encourages sooty mold. Scrape scales off by hand or apply horticultural oil spray during the crawler stage in spring.