Canna lily bring a particular form of tropical pizzazz to landscape . Those iconic flowers and enceinte , banana tree tree - like leaves can turn any area into a tropical sanctuary .
We link to vendors to facilitate you find relevant products . If you corrupt from one of our link , we may earn a commissioning .
But like many garden plants , we ’re not the only ace that admire their orotund foliage and bloom . Garden plague are quick to target canna lilies due to their tasty - look leaves and body of water - loving characteristic .
Wooly bear caterpillars (Pyrrharctia isabella)
Coming up , here are the master pests you ’ll see while growing canna lilies , and how best to forbid and deal plague :
Common Canna Lily Pests
Luckily , all the pesterer that can involve your beloved plants are easy to distinguish with steady monitoring .
Keep an heart on your canna lily regularly from early spring to early fall so you could recognise pests and act quickly . Do this and you ’ll have beautiful leaves and continuous efflorescence throughout the growing season .
Aphids
Aphids are basically like lice , but for plants . Every gardener has had to deal with aphids at some item .
They are a usual garden pest that can infest almost everything in your landscape , including your canna lilies . You will ordinarily see these pest in early spring .
Cannas are water - loving plants , make them perfect targets for an aphid infestation . These pests will latch onto new spring growth and suck the juices from the phloem of your canna ’s stem .
Phloem is the part of a industrial plant ’s vascular system that enchant refined sugar – the result of photosynthesis – to parts of the plant that necessitate it .
If you have an aphid infestation , you ’ll be able to physically see these pestilence when you get up near and personal . aphid are one of those pesterer that , within a blink of an oculus , on the spur of the moment your plant will be get across in a dependency .
You ’ll also see sign of strain on your cannas , like yellowing or browning leaf , scrubby development , andfew to no new efflorescence .
If you close visit your plant ’s stems and leave of absence , you ’ll see what expect like little cereal of rice .
These little grains of rice are n’t the aphid , but the molted skeletons left behind by the more mature adults . Their actual bodies are pear shaped , and can be smuggled , brown , chicken , or light commons .
You might also notice a steamy substance on your canna – this is known as honeydew . It ’s a secretion that comes out of aphid when they prey on the industrial plant ’s sugars found within the bast .
Honeydew can cause an outbreak ofblack sooty moldon your canna lilies . This character of mold is annoying to deal with , but is n’t the worst affair that can pass off due to an aphid infestation .
In the worst showcase scenario , aphids may shoot virus into your plant life , undermine your canna to the point of death . virus are much more hard to pull off , so it ’s better to deflect the issue altogether and get rid of those aphids , pronto .
Luckily , aphid infestation are pretty leisurely to fix . If there are n’t many germ on your canna lily , you’re able to wash off them off with a strong stream of water .
In the case of a large plague , employ an all - purpose insecticidal easy lay like this one from Bonide , available in 32 - ounce bottlesfrom Arbico Organics .
Bonide Insecticidal Soap
This insecticidal max will kill the aphids on contact , but it does n’t persist in the environment .
This is good tidings forbeneficial insectsif it ’s used by rights . You ’ll call for to reapply every two weeks until the issue is resolved .
There are a batch of ways to manage all the unlike type of aphids out there . We ’ve put together afull pest direction template on these galling little bugsif you ’d like to check more .
Caterpillars
There are a few different type of caterpillars that will seek and make a meal out of your canna lilies . The chief types you might see are wooly bear cat , saddleback caterpillar , and canna lily leafrollers .
You ’ll know you ’re dish out with Caterpillar if you lead off to notice large muddle in the leafage of your cannas in former spring . countenance ’s get into some of the potential culprits .
Wooly bear caterpillars ( Pyrrharctia Isabella the Catholic ) are the larval form of the Isabella tiger moth .
These fuzzy caterpillar are reddish - browned in color , with a grim posterior . These caterpillars have a variety of host plants they feed on , including canna lilies .
Saddleback caterpillars(Acharia stimulea ) are the larval form of the saddleback caterpillar moth , and these pests are native to North America .
It ’s a pretty blazing cat , with a brown body and a bright green “ saddle ” directly in the middle of its back . These caterpillar have virulent sticker , so do n’t blame them up without your garden baseball glove on .
Like wooly bears , saddleback caterpillar infestations are n’t unique to canna lily . They both feed on a encompassing range of garden plants , so if you find them on your cannas you should check off the balance of your landscape as well .
The in force way to deal with both of these is to but pick them off of your flora and drown them in a bucket of buttery water . you’re able to also spray them directly with your option of insecticidal soap .
Now , let ’s talk about the canna lily leafroller . There are actually two types , the larger canna leafroller ( Calpodes ethlius ) and the less canna leafroller ( Geshna cannalis ) .
The grownup form of both of these caterpillars are types of moths . G. cannalis , in its grownup form , has light brown wing with dark brown billet across them .
C. ethlius , also known as the Brazilian skipper , has light dark-brown wings with white spots dapple across them . When the wing of this species are spread out , you ’ll also notice a speck of light orange near the body .
Both of these caterpillars can absolutely devastate the foliage on your canna lilies . They are called leafrollers because they literally range themselves up inside the leafage of cannas , sealing themselves in with their silk .
If you ’re lucky , you ’ll point out the small light pink or greenish eggs lay by the adult moths first , giving you a head start on pest management . The eggs will be laid on top of the leaf .
When these caterpillars issue from their egg and grow , they have green eubstance and a black foreland that will finally turn orange with due date .
As they grow , canna leafrollers spin themselves up in new leave to safely bung , until they reach their max length of two column inch . They ’ll each stay seal within their own leaf pocket until they ’ve outgrown it , moving to another leaf and reprize the operation again and again until pupating .
The main means to get rid of leafroller caterpillars is to useBacillus thuringiensis kurstaki(Btk).It ’s usually sold as a spray , and will pour down the caterpillar within a few Day after the first diligence .
Btk is a natural bacterium that infects larvae with bacterial spores , disrupting the digestive organization when the spores are ingested . Upon initial photo , cat or other larvae will stop eating and die within two to five sidereal day .
Monterey Bt Liquidfrom Arbico Organicscan be used to quickly fight a leafroller outbreak .
Monterey Bt Liquid
When spraying Btk on your canna lilies , you should completely drench the leafage to ensure contact with the caterpillars . You require to get the caterpillar to eat leaves covered in Btk , so focus on the roll leaves as much as possible .
Btk degrades promptly when exposed to sun , so spray in the late good afternoon so the bacterium can work overnight .
There can be as many as three generations of these pests within a single time of year , so you ’ll involve to apply Btk multiple times to manage infestations .
Japanese Beetles
Nipponese beetles ( Popillia japonica ) are attracted to canna lily by the scent of their prime . Once they get in , they notice those tasty - seem leaves . Then , they ’ll munch forth !
Japanese beetles feed on all kinds of garden plants , including cannas . It ’s well to take on both umbrage and defense with these pests .
As a defensive cadence , apply good roundworm to the planting area around your canna lily in the early spring . Heterorhabditis bacteriophorawill target Japanese beetle grubs hiding in the stain .
Nipponese beetle eats like to rummage around and eat on the rhizome systems or roots of legion plants . The nematodes will wipe out off the grubs , setting you up for a mostly Nipponese beetle - devoid uprise season .
you’re able to purchase good nematodes of this species sold as NemaSeekfrom Arbico Organics .
NemaSeek Beneficial Nematodes
What if you utilise beneficial nematodes but still feel issues with grownup Nipponese beetles ?
The next step is to take hold of a bucketful of soapy water and hand - pick them off . Nipponese beetles do n’t move fast , so you ’ll have the upper handwriting . Drown the grownup beetle in your bucket , and dispose of them .
If you have to wrap up a large number of plants and ca n’t handwriting - pick , use a natural pesticide that contains pyrethrin . Pyrethrin is a biodegradable chemical substance pesticide derive from daisies that does n’t persist in the environment .
However , while this pesticide is all - natural , that does n’t stand for it wo n’t harm other insects . Pyrethrin - based pesticides should be applied instantly to the beetles . take a non - long-winded day in the late good afternoon or evening , when favorable pollinators are n’t participating .
Check out our full , in - depth guide on supervise Japanese beetlesin your garden .
Scale Insects and Mealybugs
ordered series worm are sap - sucking pests that will do their best to suck your canna lilies ironical . There are over 6,000 different specie of scale , and around 1,000 of these are present within North America .
Scale dirt ball fall under the fiat Hemiptera , where the most coarse families are mealybugs , soft exfoliation , and concentrated exfoliation insect . All three of these louse will feed on your canna ’s leafage and stems .
Mealybugs and soft scale insect are cosh - suckers and produce honeydew melon , while punishing scale leaf insects are chewers that do n’t give rise honeydew .
First , have ’s talk about mealybugs .
If you live in the United States , there are around 275 different species of mealybugs that could be overrun your canna lilies .
You ’ll know you have a mealybug problem if you see groups of ovular , cottony , wingless louse nestle in the crack between the stems and leaf .
Mealybugs have sex warm and moist environs , which is why they target your H2O - get it on tropicals .
The citrus mealybug ( Planococcus citri)is the most widespread in North America , and tends to give ear out in moist , humid field like greenhouses .
Next , let ’s talk about soft- and hard - shell graduated table dirt ball .
Like their epithet connote , hard- and easy - shelled scale worm have a shell that protect them while they feed on your works .
They are mostly immobile or journey little distance on your works , ordinarily bury themselves slenderly within the stem . They prefer to stay and feed in one place , if possible .
These types of dirt ball will come out as dark protrusion along the stem and leaf .
for supervise scale dirt ball , you ’ll need to take a two - footfall approach . First , you ’ll need to use an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil , like neem , that will lick to knock down a large part of the population .
Then , you ’ll want to bring in beneficial dirt ball like lacewings ( Chrysoperla rufilabris ) and mealybug destroyers(Cryptolaemus montrouzieri ) . Wait a minimum of seven solar day after neem vegetable oil treatment before bring in beneficial insects .
Lacewings may be sell as eggs , larvae , or adult insect . Mealybug destroyers are available in adult formfrom Arbico Organics .
Mealybug Destroyer
For a full overview on all the unlike type of ordered series insects you might encounter in the garden and how to identify them , chink out our guide .
Spider Mites
Did you suddenly notice fiddling webs all over the foliage of your canna lilies ? This is a sign of one of the garden ’s most vernacular blighter : the spider mite .
Spider mites , from the Tetranychidae family , are tiny arachnids that will infest your plants in colony .
They feast on the contents of your canna ’s leave – sop up out the succus within the cell wall of the foliation until there ’s nothing leave . After feed , they leave behind silvery or yellow spots on the leaf .
Like other sap sucking insects , they can spreadplant diseases that feign canna lilies .
While spider soupcon are technically arachnids , they are n’t wanderer . They get this name from their webbing habit when they colonize plants . Spider mites are herbivores , not carnivore like most wanderer metal money .
Spider touch are difficult to see because of their sizing , but also because they opt to cover on the underside of leaves .
reckon on the species , they can vary in color and size of it , ranging from nine - ten percent to one and a quarter millimeters long , in coloring like crimson , brown , yellow , or green .
The good news : spider mite colony are easy to negociate . Neem oil concentrate mixed with water will take care of most wanderer mite infestation after two to three applications .
If you ’re still struggle with spider mites after using neem oil , step it up a notch by introducing a biological control like predatory mites ( Phytoseiulus persimilis ) .
Predatory Mites
you could buy these predatory mitesfrom Arbico Organics , start in containers of 2,000 .
P. persimilisshould be employ at least 48 time of day after the last neem oil colour treatment . They ’ll munch on spider mites at every life stage : egg , houri , and grownup .
You ’ll want to reapply these good insects every seven days until you no longer see spider mites on your canna lily .
When the level of wanderer mites on your canna lily gets too low , P. persimiliswill leave your plant life in search of a newfangled food for thought source .
They might assist to control wanderer mites within your intact garden landscape , before moving on to your neighbour ’s K next – a beneficial insect , indeed !
check to deal with spider mites in our usher .
Thrips
Another vulgar eccentric of garden cuss known for their sap - sucking lineament , thrips . Thrips are modest , bullet - shaped , winged dirt ball that pierce the bow of your canna lily to feed .
From the society Thysanoptera , there are approximately 6,000 dissimilar specie of thrips . Some are good pollinators or mite predators that eat spider hint – an sheer profits .
However , thrips can still tip on every aboveground part of your canna lily , potentially infecting it with mosaic virus .
We ’ve put together afull pest guide on thrips , describing the different viruses carried by these cuss and how they can impact flora – with pictures !
This is another form of pest that will utterly detonate in number within just a few day if leave unbridled . Thrips can cause scrawny ontogenesis , yellow stippling on the leaves , and bloom failure .
Unfortunately , thrips may be long go by the time your plant begin showing symptom of an infestation , which is why monitoring is so important .
These pests are a big number in commercial greenhouses where monitoring is done by hang sticky traps .
If you ’re concerned about thrip or have had issues with them in the past , hang some sticky traps near the base of your cannas . This is where thrips like to hide .
Blue Sticky Traps
Blue sticky hole are made specifically to attract thrip and , surprisingly , leaf miners . snap up some of these commercial - grade blue sticky trapsfrom Arbico Organics .
Now that you ’re better able to monitor for these tiny pest , what ’s next if they do infest your canna lilies ?
Once again , we ’ll be using a combination of an constituent pesticide , like neem , and an covering of a good vulture insect , like lacewings .
Green lacewings are an splendid pick to introduce because thrips are one of their preferred foods .
These predator bugs will feed on thrips at every life level . Plus , each lacewing larva can eat at least 200 pests and pest eggs a workweek for the first three weeks of its life sentence .
Green Lacewing Larvae
Lacewing larvae areavailable from Arbico Organics .
look at least seven days between spray neem petroleum and introducing your lacewing fly larvae .
Kick These Canna Pests to the Curb!
Canna lily can become a tasty treat for pests within your landscape – but with a little well - time prevention and dynamic monitoring , you should be able to easily take care of infestations .
These plants thrive in moist environments , which also attract many conformation of cosh - sucking pests that will pierce the stems and leafage of your flora , sucking out the contents .
This alone will de-escalate the plant , but the self-aggrandizing threat is the virus that can be passed by these pest , which are much more difficult to handle .
Luckily , all the unwashed pests that will infest your canna lilies are well-fixed to blemish if you ’re regularly monitoring for them . Control methods like draw in or applying good insects and trusty neem crude oil are some of the best ways to fighting infestation .
And formore information about cultivating canna lilies , add these guide to your recitation lean next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product picture via Arbico Organics . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Sarah Patton
