ARE THE LEAVES ON YOUR 'ANNABELLE' STUCK TO EACH OTHER?

Cupped leaves on Hydrangea arborescens

Are the leaves on your 'Annabelle' hydrangeas stuck to each other? Inspect them and any other hydrangea arborescens you may have like Incrediball® or Invincibelle® Spirit. You may notice some leaves cupped together. It looks like the leaves above from my Invincibelle® Spirit. 

Interesting, huh? Don’t panic!

Leaf rollers are at work here, setting up house and rearing their young. It’s the first hydrangea insect to show up: normal and predictable.

If you peel the cupped leaves apart, you'll see the larvae crawling around. You can destroy them but you will mar the leaves. If you do nothing, it will not harm your plant.
Leaf roller larvae inside cupped leaves on Hydrangea arborescens
I explain it all in my book, Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener’s Guide. There is an entire chapter on insects and diseases of hydrangeas and what to do about them. If you know beforehand what to expect and are prepared to handle these kinds of issues, you'll be in the best position to have healthy plants that will look stunning in your garden this season.
Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener’s Guide is all about how to grow hydrangeas. It has gotten rave reviews which you can read HERE. That’s also where you can buy the book. If you want a signed copy, just go to my website to make your purchase. A signed book makes a great gift for any gardener. The site will also tell you about me, where I am giving talks and how to sign up for blog posts if you are not already a subscriber. Plus, you can catch up on prior posts.

Here’s to happy hydrangeas, not a myth but a reality.


UPCOMING EVENTS WHERE YOU CAN BUY A SIGNED COPY OF MY BOOK:
May 18, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx NY: Book Signing at the Store, 2-4 p.m. Entry to the garden.
June 8, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY: class, Shady Characters, 10.30 a.m. - 1.30 p.m. Fee


CLOSING COMMENT
If you’d like to read my other garden writing, go to the Coast of Maine Blog. Each month I write about a different gardening topic which you may find interesting and helpful.


(Originally posted June 2018; updated May 2019)

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