What's eating my woolly rose?

Echeveria 'Doris Taylor' is a fuzzy-leafed hybrid whose hairy surface, ironically, provides hiding cover for mealybugs. The trichomes also trap debris that can harbor fungus gnats. Aphids hit flower spikes occasionally. Avoid water on leaves — trapped moisture in the fuzz promotes rot and makes treatments harder to apply.

White waxy clusters concealed within the leaf hair, especially near the rosette center; plant looks dull and grows slowly Use an isopropyl alcohol-soaked cotton swab precisely on colonies; systemic imidacloprid drench for hidden root mealybugs

Adults fly around the plant; larvae tunnel through moist soil and fine roots, causing wilting Water infrequently and only at the base; apply Bti drench; use a top-dressing of coarse grit to reduce moisture at the surface

Soft insects clustering on flower stems and buds; sticky secretions and distorted inflorescence Remove affected flower stalks; spray insecticidal soap on stems, avoiding the fuzzy leaves