Mystery brown substance on 2.5 year old jacaranda tree

[GunGoose]

I noticed some weird white & brown crystals/fuzz on some of the leaves of my jacaranda tree. The substance started out white, but then turned brown. It is very hard and I don't know if I can remove it without tearing off the leave it is on. I have no idea what this is and have tried to research it, but have gotten confusing results. To me this seems like a common problem in jacaranda tree as I have found a good number of posts with pictures of a similar brown substance on other jacaranda tree. However, all these posts seem to either not know what the substance is or reach very different conclusions on what it is. Some of them say that the jacaranda leaves can produce a sap if they are overwatered and that it is not that big of an issue. Some say this issue is aphids or scale bugs. Some even say that is a lethal jacaranda disease and my tree is basically done for. The tree seemed to be growing fine this spring as it lost all its leaves in the winter and all the current leaves are from this spring. However the leaves that have this brown substance seem to be dying and some of the other leaves look less healthy as well.

Once I first noticed the substance (on Monday) I sprayed the plant with neem oil and put some stuff in the soil that is supposed to help with bugs. Then the substance when from white to brown. (I was not sure if it was connected to the insecticide or just happened naturally.) I live in Washington with a hardness zone of 8a. It sits mostly under a plant light but I have recently been putting it outside in the mornings so it can get some natural sun.

I attached some images below. (They were kinda hard to take....). Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[LemonBonsai]

I noticed some weird white & brown crystals/fuzz on some of the leaves of my jacaranda tree. The substance started out white, but then turned brown. It is very hard and I don't know if I can remove it without tearing off the leave it is on. I have no idea what this is and have tried to research it, but have gotten confusing results. To me this seems like a common problem in jacaranda tree as I have found a good number of posts with pictures of a similar brown substance on other jacaranda tree. However, all these posts seem to either not know what the substance is or reach very different conclusions on what it is. Some of them say that the jacaranda leaves can produce a sap if they are overwatered and that it is not that big of an issue. Some say this issue is aphids or scale bugs. Some even say that is a lethal jacaranda disease and my tree is basically done for. The tree seemed to be growing fine this spring as it lost all its leaves in the winter and all the current leaves are from this spring. However the leaves that have this brown substance seem to be dying and some of the other leaves look less healthy as well.

Once I first noticed the substance (on Monday) I sprayed the plant with neem oil and put some stuff in the soil that is supposed to help with bugs. Then the substance when from white to brown. (I was not sure if it was connected to the insecticide or just happened naturally.) I live in Washington with a hardness zone of 8a. It sits mostly under a plant light but I have recently been putting it outside in the mornings so it can get some natural sun.

I attached some images below. (They were kinda hard to take....). Any thoughts? Thanks!

View attachment 490198View attachment 490199View attachment 490201

Wondering how this is doing? I brought mine in for winter and its developing white crystals on it (leaves and stems) I have also read that its overwatering but not sure how, I do let the tree get pretty dry before watering. Its also in bonsai soil so I dont see how it could get "overwatered"

 

[nuttiest]

I think in both cases this is caused by insects sitting there and it happens at night when you don't see it, likely happened in the summer. Let it heal itself however ugly and decide next year what to cut off. Unelss they go dormant in your house anyway you probably want all leaves until winter.

 

[LemonBonsai]

I noticed some weird white & brown crystals/fuzz on some of the leaves of my jacaranda tree. The substance started out white, but then turned brown. It is very hard and I don't know if I can remove it without tearing off the leave it is on. I have no idea what this is and have tried to research it, but have gotten confusing results. To me this seems like a common problem in jacaranda tree as I have found a good number of posts with pictures of a similar brown substance on other jacaranda tree. However, all these posts seem to either not know what the substance is or reach very different conclusions on what it is. Some of them say that the jacaranda leaves can produce a sap if they are overwatered and that it is not that big of an issue. Some say this issue is aphids or scale bugs. Some even say that is a lethal jacaranda disease and my tree is basically done for. The tree seemed to be growing fine this spring as it lost all its leaves in the winter and all the current leaves are from this spring. However the leaves that have this brown substance seem to be dying and some of the other leaves look less healthy as well.

Once I first noticed the substance (on Monday) I sprayed the plant with neem oil and put some stuff in the soil that is supposed to help with bugs. Then the substance when from white to brown. (I was not sure if it was connected to the insecticide or just happened naturally.) I live in Washington with a hardness zone of 8a. It sits mostly under a plant light but I have recently been putting it outside in the mornings so it can get some natural sun.

I attached some images below. (They were kinda hard to take....). Any thoughts? Thanks!

View attachment 490198View attachment 490199View attachment 490201

So i have been doing a lot of digging and this seems to be an extremely common thing that happens when people bring their Jacarandas in for the winter.

Considering its such a common thing I font think its detremental to the tree. However I am going to try spraying mine down with a 3 in 1 foliar spray that supposed to combat mildew, insects, and mites and see if it does anything.

I did find one account that someone was saying that when humidity raises the trees put out this waxy coating/white crystaline like structures. It can look extremely similar to scale but they were saying it is not scale.

I did also read one thing about the glasswing sharp shooter bug that can cause a incurable disease and apparently this could be a symptom of that, but i believe this is more of a possability in countries that have jacarandas growing there naturally. And seeing how many people have this 'phenomenon' of a symptom I highly doubt that its an incurable disease.

The incurable disease is called oleander scorch and it will present itself as underwatering symptoms.

I can update as my research goes on.

 

[nuttiest]

I did also read one thing about the glasswing sharp shooter bug that can cause a incurable disease and apparently this could be a symptom of that, but i believe this is more of a possability in countries that have jacarandas growing there naturally. And seeing how many people have this 'phenomenon' of a symptom I highly doubt that its an incurable disease.

This had to be a newspaper article or something because that bug is way too big to sit on this tree's petiole, let alone perch on a leaf.
But if it did, and was laying eggs, the eggs could cause the immune response that leads to pointy tent galls on leaf, production of tree 'phlegm' and tissue wounds.

 

[LemonBonsai]

This had to be a newspaper article or something because that bug is way too big to sit on this tree's petiole, let alone perch on a leaf.
But if it did, and was laying eggs, the eggs could cause the immune response that leads to pointy tent galls on leaf, production of tree 'phlegm' and tissue wounds.

Interesting. Seems to be a documented problem. They are said to feed on the xylem of the tree and pass on the disease through that way. So if anything this could be a symptom of the bugs like you said, I think the "disease" that the OP pointed out is oleander scorch and that might be a very rare case of sharpshooter attacks.

Either way its odd that this only seems to happen when the trees get brought in for the winter. Everyone seems to report this waxy coating forming within a week or two, which is consistant with my experience.

Looking at the tree more im noticing that the waxy coating seems to be only forming on spots that the light is hitting. Could be a coincidence but lower stems/lower leaves dont seem to have this issue, also the under sides of higher stems that do have the issue dont show the waxy/crystal coating.

 

[nuttiest]

Interesting. Seems to be a documented problem. They are said to feed on the xylem of the tree and pass on the disease through that way. So if anything this could be a symptom of the bugs like you said, I think the "disease" that the OP pointed out is oleander scorch and that might be a very rare case of sharpshooter attacks.

Either way its odd that this only seems to happen when the trees get brought in for the winter. Everyone seems to report this waxy coating forming within a week or two, which is consistant with my experience.

Looking at the tree more im noticing that the waxy coating seems to be only forming on spots that the light is hitting. Could be a coincidence but lower stems/lower leaves dont seem to have this issue, also the under sides of higher stems that do have the issue dont show the waxy/crystal coating.

Xylella is definitely bad news, has many insect vectors but actually doesn't need one to spread there are species that have it without insects causing it.
I meant it sounds like tree immune response, not related to the bacteria xylella Or the insect you mention.
In your photos on the other thread it looks like leaf galls from insects laying eggs.
Here part of same thing described, the 'phlegm' like an animal can produce in response to irritation, not always bacterial.
Why fall? Some trees can sense the change in still air, barometric changes, prepare for storm coming, rain, etc.

 

[nuttiest]

Could be a coincidence but lower stems/lower leaves dont seem to have this issue, also the under sides of higher stems that do have the issue dont show the waxy/crystal coating.

I am wondering if this is aphids and if this is a LOT of honeydew. did it turn black?

 

[AJL]

So i have been doing a lot of digging and this seems to be an extremely common thing that happens when people bring their Jacarandas in for the winter.

Considering its such a common thing I font think its detremental to the tree. However I am going to try spraying mine down with a 3 in 1 foliar spray that supposed to combat mildew, insects, and mites and see if it does anything.

I did find one account that someone was saying that when humidity raises the trees put out this waxy coating/white crystaline like structures. It can look extremely similar to scale but they were saying it is not scale.

I did also read one thing about the glasswing sharp shooter bug that can cause a incurable disease and apparently this could be a symptom of that, but i believe this is more of a possability in countries that have jacarandas growing there naturally. And seeing how many people have this 'phenomenon' of a symptom I highly doubt that its an incurable disease.

The incurable disease is called oleander scorch and it will present itself as underwatering symptoms.

I can update as my research goes on.

I hope what youre calling 'Oleander Scorch' is not in fact Xylella fastidiosa .a serious quarantine disease also affecting Olives Grapevines Lavenders Coffee and many more species of plant. The main vector is Sharpshooters- what we call Cuckoo spit insects. Believed to have originally been spread into Europe on Coffee plants from S. America.
For more information see:-

Xylella fastidiosa - UK Plant Health Information Portal

planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk

 

[LemonBonsai]

I hope what youre calling 'Oleander Scorch' is not in fact Xylella fastidiosa .a serious quarantine disease also affecting Olives Grapevines Lavenders Coffee and many more species of plant. The main vector is Sharpshooters- what we call Cuckoo spit insects. Believed to have originally been spread into Europe on Coffee plants from S. America.
For more information see:-

Xylella fastidiosa - UK Plant Health Information Portal

planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk

Xylella Fastidiosa is a bacterium. The strain that causes oleander scorch is most common in south california. From what I have read the strain that carries oleander scorch is what is most common in blue jacaranda because they grow is california. Again though I dont think this is super common and juging by how many posts online I see of this I highly doubt its because of this bacteria.

I am wondering if this is aphids and if this is a LOT of honeydew. did it turn black?

Do you mean it had aphids in the summer at some point? Because I only noticed this stuff when it came in for winter, and I also have not seen any aphids on it.

 

[AliciaT]

Either way its odd that this only seems to happen when the trees get brought in for the winter. Everyone seems to report this waxy coating forming within a week or two, which is consistant with my experience.

Looking at the tree more im noticing that the waxy coating seems to be only forming on spots that the light is hitting. Could be a coincidence but lower stems/lower leaves dont seem to have this issue, also the under sides of higher stems that do have the issue dont show the waxy/crystal coating.

Small sample size - 3 saplings for 3ish years. Mine are indoors year round and get this. Only upper branches develop it and not consistently.
Till recently I had thought a mysterious bug was to blame so had been spraying and pruning effected branches.
Sometimes I would top the entire thing. This thread is making me realize even with my jewellers loop I never actually saw a bug.

I just actually topped one(figured I would take advantage of some great lower bud development) and sprayed last week. As I was disposing of the upper part of the sapling I was bothered by how healthy it looked otherwise - like the bug thesis just wasn't sitting right.

Maybe when it happens next I will instead isolate the tree and see what comes of it.

I find saplings of mimosa hostilis with similar fine feathery compound leaf structures seem to struggle with the lower indoor humidity when grown inside. They just drop entire upper branches. Maybe the wax on Jacaranda is like bloom on some leafs to protect from desiccation only instead the branch. That is probably a silly theory but I will try the isolation and grow on thing next time I see it.

 

[nuttiest]

Are either of you overhead watering with an organic fertilizer with microbes? What about water storing crystals or foliar spray?

 

[nuttiest]

Linking the photos on the other thread about this: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/problems-with-my-young-jacaranda.62263/

 

[LemonBonsai]

Small sample size - 3 saplings for 3ish years. Mine are indoors year round and get this. Only upper branches develop it and not consistently.
Till recently I had thought a mysterious bug was to blame so had been spraying and pruning effected branches.
Sometimes I would top the entire thing. This thread is making me realize even with my jewellers loop I never actually saw a bug.

I just actually topped one(figured I would take advantage of some great lower bud development) and sprayed last week. As I was disposing of the upper part of the sapling I was bothered by how healthy it looked otherwise - like the bug thesis just wasn't sitting right.

Maybe when it happens next I will instead isolate the tree and see what comes of it.

I find saplings of mimosa hostilis with similar fine feathery compound leaf structures seem to struggle with the lower indoor humidity when grown inside. They just drop entire upper branches. Maybe the wax on Jacaranda is like bloom on some leafs to protect from desiccation only instead the branch. That is probably a silly theory but I will try the isolation and grow on thing next time I see it.

What time of year do they get this? Or is this a constant thing you are dealing with?

I also have a jewellers loop and have not seen any kind of bug, the closest it looks like is scale when it first starts but the plant stays healthy from what I can tell.
So far all the white spots on my jac has just turned brown, crusty lookin. Nothing else has changed though so im just going to leave it for now.

I did spray it with a 3 in 1 garden spray.

Are either of you overhead watering with an organic fertilizer with microbes? What about water storing crystals or foliar spray?

I overhead water it but have not fed it since I bought it, who knows what the previous owner was doing but I only use synthetic food in my water when feeding.

 

[LemonBonsai]

Thought I would update this. I did spray this down with a 3 in 1 spray. Not sure if that did anything but whatever the waxy stuff that was on it has now dried into brown crusty looking stuff. It is not producing anymore waxy coating and it has started to grow see if it happens next year as well!