What's eating my smooth phlox?

Smooth Phlox (Phlox glaberrima) shares the pest profile of other perennial phlox: spider mites are the most damaging during dry summers, while phlox plant bugs and four-lined plant bugs cause conspicuous leaf spotting in spring. Aphids are a secondary nuisance. Good air circulation and prompt removal of dead stems in autumn reduce pressure significantly.

Fine webbing and yellow stippling on leaf undersides; leaves dry, brown, and drop early in severe infestations. Spray thoroughly with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil every 7–10 days; keep plants well-watered as drought stress encourages mite outbreaks.

White or light-green speckling on foliage; buds may fail to open and leaves eventually brown and drop. Cut back all dead stems to the ground in autumn and dispose of rather than composting; apply insecticidal soap or pyrethrin at bud-break in spring.

Distinct round, sunken brown lesions on upper leaf surfaces from toxic feeding saliva. Hand-pick or spray nymphs with pyrethrin in late spring; the adult feeding window is short, and plants generally recover once adults disperse.

Soft colonies on new growth and stem tips cause curled, yellowing leaves and honeydew deposits. Dislodge with a strong water spray; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil for heavy infestations; avoid excess nitrogen which promotes soft growth aphids prefer.