I got an email with some pictures a few years ago asking me about magnolia scale, which is a topic I have written about for a number of years. I feel confident the insect was magnolia scale. The ...

Many gardeners, as well as the horticulturists at the Chicago Botanic Garden, had issues with magnolia scale last year, and it’s a pest to watch closely for in 2025. The Garden’s plant health care ...

Magnolia scales are native “soft scales. They are called soft scales because the females are hidden beneath a helmet-like soft leathery covering that provides some protection. However, they are easily ...

If you have a saucer or star magnolia in your landscape, magnolia scale is a troublesome insect to watch out for. An integrated approach is necessary for control, targeting the most vulnerable life ...

I noticed a wet appearance on a portion of my deck under a magnolia, and also a black growth on its leaves. The branches of the tree seem to have lumps on them. What is this, and what can I do to help ...

Magnolia scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum) is a soft scale insect that attacks only magnolia trees, including the popular star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) and saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana).

My Japanese magnolias have this horrible disease that causes tan-colored growths that look like boils on the branches, and they attract flies. A black mildew is on the leaves, and the leaves ...

Q: My magnolia leaves are black with spots. The tree had one bloom this year. - M.S., Houston A: Check the undersides of the leaves for scale. These whitish/grayish, immobile insects drain plant ...