Pest identification
What's eating my white tabernaemontana?
Spider mites
Signs: Fine webbing and pale yellow stippling on leaves; foliage looks dusty or bleached; leaves drop in heavy infestations.
Control: Increase humidity, rinse foliage with water, then apply neem oil or insecticidal soap to all leaf surfaces every 7 days for 3 weeks.
Mealybugs
Signs: Powdery white wax at leaf joints and new growth tips; honeydew secretion attracts sooty mold.
Control: Remove with alcohol-dipped swabs; follow with insecticidal soap spray. Repeat weekly until no new crawlers appear.
Scale insects
Signs: Hard or soft waxy bumps on stems and leaves; affected shoots wilt and yellow as the plant is slowly drained.
Control: Scrape off manually; treat with horticultural oil spray to smother all life stages, repeating fortnightly.
Keep white tabernaemontana pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
White Tabernaemontana pests — FAQ
What is eating my white tabernaemontana?
White Tabernaemontana (Tabernaemontana alba) shares the same pest profile as its relatives in the Apocynaceae family. Spider mites and mealybugs are the most frequent threats, particularly on plants kept as indoor tropicals or under glass. Regular inspection and prompt treatment with neem oil stops infestations before they weaken the plant.
How do I get rid of spider mites on white tabernaemontana?
Fine webbing and pale yellow stippling on leaves; foliage looks dusty or bleached; leaves drop in heavy infestations. Increase humidity, rinse foliage with water, then apply neem oil or insecticidal soap to all leaf surfaces every 7 days for 3 weeks.
How do I get rid of mealybugs on white tabernaemontana?
Powdery white wax at leaf joints and new growth tips; honeydew secretion attracts sooty mold. Remove with alcohol-dipped swabs; follow with insecticidal soap spray. Repeat weekly until no new crawlers appear.
How do I get rid of scale insects on white tabernaemontana?
Hard or soft waxy bumps on stems and leaves; affected shoots wilt and yellow as the plant is slowly drained. Scrape off manually; treat with horticultural oil spray to smother all life stages, repeating fortnightly.