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gardenshrubsInsects
edenchild

What is eating my viburnum?

edenchild
4 years ago

I have two Viburnum tinus ‘Spring Bouquet’ planted either side of the path to my front door. Since I mostly enter the house through the side garage, I didn’t notice this damage until recently. Any suggestions as to what may be responsible? Is insecticidal soap the best treatment?

I though viburnum were fairly resistant to insect damage. If fact, I have several viburnum davidii nearby that are completely untouched by whatever this may be.

Featured Answer
  • Embothrium
    4 years ago

    Notice the similarity between your damage and the damage shown in the photos tsugajunkie linked to.

    Comments (9)

    • tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
      4 years ago

      Could be viburnum leaf beetle...Have you seen any of THESE STAGES?

      tj

      edenchild thanked tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
    • PRO
      Sustainable Landscape Consultants
      4 years ago

      That is a fungal issue. Is it getting hit by irrigation?

      edenchild thanked Sustainable Landscape Consultants
    • edenchild
      Original Author
      4 years ago

      There are irrigation heads nearby but the system goes on at 4am and these bushes are on the east side of the house. They get full sun until noonish and then again later in the day, The damage is also on all sides of the shrubs. Here is the north side of the path...



      And here is the south side...


    • edenchild
      Original Author
      4 years ago
      last modified: 4 years ago

      Tsugajunkie, thank you for the suggestion. I will do further research online. I don't see any obvious signs of this beetle but I will do a more thorough inspection tomorrow (going out tonight and I don't want to kneel on the concrete in my dress - my neighbours think I'm strange enough as it is ;-) ). Would it affect the viburnum davidii as well?

    • tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
      4 years ago

      Any viburnums would be on the menu. Be sure to look for the different stages of the beetles, not just the adults.

      tj

    • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
      4 years ago

      Actually, a number of viburnum species are quite resistant to VLB, including the davidii. V. tinus is less resistant but not as frequently bothered as many other, deciduous species. VLB is not yet a common pest in the PNW, although its presence has been recorded here since 2015.

    • edenchild
      Original Author
      4 years ago

      GardenGal, which other species are susceptible to VLB? The tinus and davidii are the front but I also have opulus, burkwoodii, plicatum, carlesii and x bodnantense in the back garden (can you tell that I like viburnums?). No one I know has come across this before in my area of the PNW.

    • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
      4 years ago

      This might help - Viburnum leaf beetle susceptibility. And this WSU publication provides a pretty good oversight of the VLB issue here in the Puget Sound area. As I noted, not hugely common but they do exist. I deal with a lot of viburnums myself as part of my business and I have yet to see VLB damage over here in Kitsap county.

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