Small evergreen tree (zone 7) - Ask Extension
I'm seeing small almost clear drops on some needles of an evergreen plant I bought recently. THE LABEL SAID IT WAS ZONE 7. I thought I'd keep it for...
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Small evergreen tree (zone 7) #780791
Asked January 25, 2022, 3:19 PM EST
I'm seeing small almost clear drops on some needles of an evergreen plant I bought recently. THE LABEL SAID IT WAS ZONE 7. I thought I'd keep it for the house only during the will terminate and place outside in summer.. The drops are as small as the head of a pin. Is this a sap drop or an insect?
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Hello Darlene, happy to help.
It would really help to know the species of evergreen you have so I can tell if that's a normal thing for the tree. Since it's a zone 7 plant, my guess is that it's native to the southern U.S. or a climate like that in another part of the world. Do you have the original label for when you purchased it? Some plants actually do produce water on their leaf tips. I've seen this on Dieffenbachias.
Or it could be insect frass. Some frass is simply honeydew that can attract other insects to drink it up if it were outside on a summer day. I'm going to pass along this page about houseplant insects that has lots of photos and information to help you rule out the presence of pests. I'd pay particular attention to scale and aphids.
If you don't think it's an insect infestation, feel free to reply with more information including a profile photo of the plant and a close up of the affected needles. Your reply will get back to me and I'll see what I can do.
Good-luck!
It would really help to know the species of evergreen you have so I can tell if that's a normal thing for the tree. Since it's a zone 7 plant, my guess is that it's native to the southern U.S. or a climate like that in another part of the world. Do you have the original label for when you purchased it? Some plants actually do produce water on their leaf tips. I've seen this on Dieffenbachias.
Or it could be insect frass. Some frass is simply honeydew that can attract other insects to drink it up if it were outside on a summer day. I'm going to pass along this page about houseplant insects that has lots of photos and information to help you rule out the presence of pests. I'd pay particular attention to scale and aphids.
If you don't think it's an insect infestation, feel free to reply with more information including a profile photo of the plant and a close up of the affected needles. Your reply will get back to me and I'll see what I can do.
Good-luck!
