Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Diseases

White Cottony Growth on Gumbo Limbo Branch: Need Photo for ID

A 4-year-old gumbo limbo has a branch wrapped in whitish "fur" resembling cotton candy. Unclear if fungal or insect (spider, cocoon).

Next Step

Submit a clear, close-up photo for identification. Review images on computer for focus before sending. Accurate ID is essential—treatment differs entirely for scale insects, mealybugs, spider egg sacs, or fungal growth.

Expert insight provided by Steve.

Plant Diseases: White Oak Progressive Branch Dieback: Internal Decay Suspected; Yoshino Cherry White Patches on Branches: Fungus—Atomic Grow Suggested, But Proper ID Needed First; Mandarin Tree: Sooty Mold and Insect Complex in Australia; Crabapple Leaf Drop After Heavy Rain: Temperature Shock or Slugs?; White Birch Buds Fail to Open: Cold Snap Damage; White Birch Decline After Spring Pruning: Sap Flow and Bacterial Wetwood; White Powder on Birch Leaves: Powdery Mildew or Insects?; White Spots on Gum Tree: Likely Harmless, But Check for Scale Insects; Transplanting a Volunteer Pecan Seedling in Dallas; Roundup on Crabapple Suckers: Tree May Die

Garden Articles

Bradford Pear Trunk Fungus: Remove and Spray Neem

White Spots on Tulip Tree: Lichens or Scale—Harmless or Treatable

White Powdery Growth on Oak: Powdery Mildew or Insects?

Caterpillar Frass Under Potted Ficus: Identifying the Droppings

Transplant Shock in Oversized White Pines: Root Stimulation?

White Patches on Lemon Leaf in Chameleon Enclosure: Safe Treatment

Resolving White Fungal Growth on Pine Trees Caused by Overwatering

Plants

White Powdery Spots on Maple Leaf Undersides: Likely Insects

White Spots on Red Maple: Superficial Fungus/Algae, Not Harmful

Scale and Woolly Aphids on Magnolia: Identification and Control

White Oak Leaf Discoloration: Root Dysfunction from Chemical Injury

Young Orange Tree Slow Growth: Rootstock, Water, and Expectations

White Powder Under Lemon Leaves: Early Powdery Mildew or Something Else?

Diagnosing a Non‑Leafing Maple in Nova Scotia