Laura Chaves Missouri Botanical Garden
Q: My umbrella plant has small brown bumps on its leaves, there's some clear sticky liquid on them, and some of the leaves are starting to turn yellow. What's wrong with it and what can I do to help save it?
A: It sounds like your umbrella plant (also called a schefflera) has an insect pest called scale. Scales are common pests of scheffleras and other houseplants, and they tend to appear like bumps rather than insects because only very young (and tiny) scales move.
Adults feed on sugary plant sap and cell contents, stressing and weakening plants. The sticky liquid on the leaves (commonly called honeydew) is excreted from scale as they feed, though the substance itself is not harmful to plants.
Try hand removing any scales you see with a soft toothbrush or a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol. You will likely need to do this repeatedly, as scales are good at hiding in small cracks and crevices. If hand removal is not effective, you can apply an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to the plant as indicated on the product instructions (always read and follow the label when using a pest control product). As with hand removal, these treatments will likely need to be repeated to control the scale.
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Visit this link for more information about scale insects and ways to manage them on indoor plants: tinyurl.com/yc87nsv5.
Write to the Missouri Botanical Garden's Center for Home Gardening at [email protected] or the Horticulture Answer Service, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110.
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