Knowledgebase
Solomon's Seal Plant Questions #769506
Asked August 27, 2021, 10:58 PM EDT
I have a Solomon's Seal plan that I planted this summer.
Attached you will see that it isn't looking so good (IMG_4327). Something has stripped it and it is basically non-existent.
I have no idea what is eating it, but I took pictures of anything I could see on the leaves (reference IMG_4320 & IMG_4324). These "things" don't even look like bugs, but rather like blob-like black things.
Questions:
- Is there anything identifiable here?
- If so, is there something I can do to treat this?
- If I do nothing, will the plant come back next year?
- If so, will the mite (or whatever this is) also come back?
Thanks for your help, or for any insight you can provide!
Ottawa County Michigan
Expert Response
Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum spp.) is in the lily family and is susceptible to many of the same problems we see in other members of the family. I can't tell you much based on those photos. However, it is likely that the leaves are falling prey to some of the same leaf diseases that go after lilies this late in the season. In addition, you could also have Lily leaf beetle (Liliocerus lilii) feeding on the leaves. It is a perennial and it is not unusual for them to look this rough so late in the season. In other words, I wouldn't worry too much about them. To improve the aesthetics, you could cut back the most affected stems.
