Why does my Bird of Paradise have sticky leaves?
You may remember when I was talking about having been raised by my mum, who is the only Italian mother that hates cooking and that, consequently, has gained the title of the “Microwave Queen” for that same reason.
She has also never really enjoyed gardening and owns some of the most real-looking fake plants. So not your typical Italian mother, with some other pretty amazing qualities though.
Whom I got the passion for cooking and plants from is still a mystery to this day.
Being passionate about something doesn’t necessarily equate to being good at it. In fact, I have acquired my green thumb over the years, and have had a long list of plant-casualties in the past.
Still, about 6 months, I managed to buy myself a beautiful Bird of Paradise (also knows as Strelitzia Nicolai or Wild Banana) from one of the big national stores and made a rookie mistake. In fact, I noticed some white “stuff” here and there on the leaves, but didn’t give it too much thought at the time.
Over time, not only the white stuff has been spreading more and more, but the leaves have become stickier and have started releasing that sticky substance all over the floor. And, of course, with all that has been happening with this second pregnancy, I have been too busy to notice.
Why hasn’t my indoor plant been thriving, what’s this cotton-like white stuff and why is it a sticky mess?
It turns out I brought home a plant with a nasty guest… or pest I should say: the mealybug.
The mealybug is a plant’s foe, a white cotton-like tiny wingless insect that sucks sap from the plant tissue. This little dude spreads very quickly and, after it feeds, leaves behind honeydew (thus the sticky leaves!) which may cause the growth of sticky mold.
If you notice any of the above 1. don’t be like me = don’t buy that plant, 2. if it’s one of your indoor plants (damn… sorry to hear), it will need an intervention and 3. move it away from your other plants before the mealybugs decide to attack the whole plant-neighborhood.
Although I love a plant-challenge and while I am still unsure if I’ll be able to save the plant, here are the initial steps I’ve taken:
- I moved the plant away from its plant-friends and it’s now outside. Living in Canberra, where the temperature is extra unpredictable in Spring, I’ve put it in a nice sheltered spot on my deck where it gets enough sun but is undercover at night… because one day is 28C and the other is 14C;
- I washed the entire plant thoroughly with a soft cloth and water, to remove every visible pest;
- Once the leaves were air-dried, I sprayed the plant with a natural pesticide.
Now I will leave it to dry out completely outside for a few days and, in about a week time, I will give the leaves and stem another good wash for any pest I may have missed.
I hope this post will help you not making the same mistake I made if you ever have an encounter with a plant with pests at the shops.
I will keep you posted to let you know how it progresses. Do you think I will save it?
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About The Author
alicebellavita
Hi! My name is Alice and I am Italian expat neo-mum living in Australia since 2011.