About Trey Tarrant Expertise I can answer questions about plant identification, plant care, plant pest management, landscaping, and general gardening questions. Please post a picture of the plant you wish to identify, if possible. If you say something like, "I've got this plant and it's green with long leaves and white flowers" and do not include a picture, chances are I won't be able to help you. I may not be able to help with plants that are not grown in the Southeast/ Eastern US, but you're welcome to try me.
Experience Landscaping for 10 years. Horticulture Instructor at Lawson State Community College for 7 years.
Education/Credentials M.S. in Horticulture from Auburn University.
Question My butterfly bush was blooming beautifully until recently. It started to looked stressed. When I looked closely, I saw multitudes of spider webs with thousands of tiny spiders on it. Since I spray my honeysuckle vine with Malathion when it gets aphids, I read on the bottle that it works for spiders too. So I sprayed the butterfly bush. The bush has since turned brown...flowers and all. I broke off a stem and it's still green inside, but it looks dead. Is it dying? What should I have treated it with? Should I cut it back right now? (I live in Ohio) thanks!
Answer Sounds like you have spider mites, not true spiders, but they are arachnids. I have seen them on butterfly bushes before. They thrive in hot dry weather. Insecticides may help control them, but simply watering the plant well will help more than anything. Soak the root zone well every three days and the plant should recover. Also, when you water the plant, squirt the leaves with water too. A little fertilizer may also help.
