I got an email with some pictures a few years ago asking me about magnolia scale, which is a topic I have written about for a number of years. I feel confident the insect was magnolia scale. The ...

Magnolia scales are native “soft scales. They are called soft scales because the females are hidden beneath a helmet-like soft leathery covering that provides some protection. However, they are easily ...

We enjoy magnolia trees for their beautiful early spring flowers, but in summer they sometimes get downright ugly. Gardeners may notice a fuzzy black coating on branches or a sticky glaze that ...

Q. My magnolia tree is covered with white bumps on the twigs. The leaves and the ground under the tree are covered with black mold. What is wrong? A. Magnolia scale has become a serious problem in our ...

Many gardeners, as well as the horticulturists at the Chicago Botanic Garden, had issues with magnolia scale last year, and it’s a pest to watch closely for in 2025. The Garden’s plant health care ...

Pruning is my favorite gardening task, and now is a suitable time to start pruning shrubs that have put on growth and need shaping. Prune them as needed to keep them at the proper scale for your ...

Magnolia scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum) is a soft scale insect that attacks only magnolia trees, including the popular star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) and saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana).

On a recent group tree identification hike in a Leon County park, I found it interesting that the one tree everyone could identify was southern magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora. And it’s no wonder, as ...