Spring beauty (Claytonia virginica)

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Delicate white-pink petals with pink veining in early spring; plants are ephemeral: the foliage fades away by early summer
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Size: 4 to 12 in. tall, 6 to 9 in. wide
Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

From the Wild Side: Spring beauties

I had just sat down under our sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum), hoping to focus on nothing, when a bee buzzed by and focused on me. She was smaller, darker and cuter than a honeybee, and I could’ve sworn I saw pink thighs, but she was definitely checking me out. Was she trying to tell me something? Sure enough, when I stood up, she flew to a tiny hole in the soil I had been sitting on; I didn’t see it until she crawled right to it. She was a mining bee, fresh from her own winter nest, busy building a new one for her babies.

Back then, I had no idea that Nashville had hundreds of species of native bees — each with their own requirements and timing — but I did know that some made nests in soil and that I had finally caught one in the act. So I kept watching. Every time she left the hole, she ignored the sweet violets (Viola sororia), early buttercups (Ranunculus fascicularis) and other blooms in the grass to visit only one species of wildflower: spring beauty.

Native bees are pollen specialists

About the size of a dime, spring beauty’s white-pink flower offers nectar and pollen to all sorts of insects. But I had met the one insect who cannot reproduce without it, a spring beauty bee (Andrena erigeniae), a pollen specialist. And get this — the pollen is pink! I was right about those pink saddlebags. If you don’t believe me, check out the close-up view in the photo below.

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How the beneficial relationship works

The female spring beauty bee gathers pollen — and only this particular pollen — to provision each of her eggs with a little pink cake. When an egg hatches, the larval bee eats the spring beauty pollen until it pupates. Then next year, when this wildflower blooms again, new adults emerge, ready to make more bees.

Lawns in my neighborhood used to bloom with so many spring beauties, they looked like they’d been sprinkled with snow. But in the 30 years I’ve been watching, a lawn with even a hint of these flowers has become rare. And when the plant disappears, the bees disappear. What if more neighbors knew about this wildflower sleeping in our seed bank? What if they knew about the charismatic little bee who depends on this flower, and that there are many other specialist bees as well?

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Change garden practices to support pollinator populations

I know from personal experience that falling in love with just one native bee, butterfly or bird can change everything, change us. It’s why I’ve shrunk the lawn, quit herbicides and pesticides, weeded invasives, planted natives and written a book.

I also know that we can’t fall in love with what we haven’t met, which could be, by the way, the best reason to take breaks under a sugar maple even when trying to focus on nothing. You never know who might buzz by.

Keep an eye out for native bees

Want to meet a spring beauty bee? Find the flowers and some sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Try when the day isn’t breezy, so the only movement is a bee. If you see a flower tip under the bulk of a visitor, it’s not a spring beauty bee — it doesn’t weigh enough to bend a stem. If you see a small black bee with sparse white whiskers and saddlebags loaded with pale pink pollen, there she is — the real beauty of spring.

Plant sources

• Prairie Moon Nursery, 866-417-8156
• Izel Native Plants, 410-989-3721

Joanna, author of "This Is How a Robin Drinks: Essays on Urban Nature," writes about everyday wonders in everyday habitat loss on Instagram @jo_brichetto and at SidewalkNature.com.

With another gardening season just around the corner, container gardens are probably already on your mind! Half the fun is trying out new plant combinations or swapping in something fresh each season. The other half? Checking out the creative ideas other gardeners have come up with —because a little inspiration can spark some big ideas of your own.

Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry in the 2026 Container Challenge, and congratulations to our winners! With so many fantastic designs, we wanted to shine a spotlight on a handful of honorable mentions that stood out as well. Browse these top entries, and you’re sure to find one (or several!) that will inspire new plants, colors, or design ideas for your containers this year.

Read More: Get Inspired by Our 2026 Container Challenge Winners!

2026 Container Challenge Honorable Mentions

Wonderful Windowbox

Michelle & Paul Frati, NY | @pardonandmirth

After moving to a new home, Michelle and Paul were looking for a way to stretch their limited garden budget. So they shopped sales and looked for perennials and shrubs in smaller nursery pots that could do double duty. First they created a cool-color combo to fill their self-watering windowbox. Then when the growing season was over, the hydrangeas, astilbe and coral bells went in the ground to help fill the borders of their new garden. The Endless Summer hydrangeas bloomed off and on from planting until frost, and the long-lasting astilbe flowers created an interesting accent even after they faded.

The house faces north, so the windowbox gets a few hours of morning sun and they only need to fill the reservoir about every two weeks, even during the heat of summer. Because it’s made of resin, the Fratis leave the planter in place in their zone 5 region with no worries.

Key container plants

A) AstilbeAstilbe ‘Happy Spirit’
B) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Wildberry’
C) Bigleaf hydrangeaHydrangea macrophylla Endless Summer^®
D) Creeping JennyLysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
E) LobeliaLobelia erinus
Windowbox is 11 in. deep x 11 in. wide x 60 in. long

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Part-Shade Patio Container Solution

Camille McElroy, TN | @catmintcoop

Looking for just the right container plants for a part-shade patio in zone 8, Camille created this great-looking group. While there are a few annuals in it, her design makes good use of the foliage color and texture that shrubs and perennials, such as coral bells, lamb’s ear and paperbush, provide. The stairstep containers are made of cast concrete and stay outdoors all year. The shrubs and perennials also stay in the pots year-round and often last for several years. Once they start looking tired, they’re moved out to the garden.

Even though the containers are large, Camille doesn’t use fillers, such as rock, Styrofoam^™ or cans, in the bottom to reduce the amount of potting mix needed. This technique has blocked the drainage hole in the past, causing rot or even cracked pots over winter. Instead, she fills them about a third full of bark mulch, then tops it off with potting mix. This works especially well for shrubs or perennials, but if all the plants going in the pot are shallow-rooted annuals, she can add a bit more mulch.

Key container plants

A) AbeliaAbelia x grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’
B) Foam flowerTiarella ‘Sugar and Spice’
C) Creeping JennyLysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
D) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Palace Purple’
E) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Plum Pudding’
F) PaperbushEdgeworthia chrysantha
G) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Fire Alarm’
H) Lamb’s earStachys byzantina
I) Foxtail fernAsparagus densiflorus ‘Meyersii’
J) DichondraDichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’
K) BacopaChaenostoma cordatum ‘Snowflake’

Large container is 38 in. tall x 30 in. wide
Medium container is 21 in. tall x 20 in. wide
Small container is 20 in. tall x 18 in. wide

Classic Curb Appeal

Marie Herbert, MI

Coleus and impatiens are some of Marie’s favorite plants, so it was natural for her to fill these concrete urns with them, creating a colorful greeting for visitors at her north-facing front door last year.

This combination didn’t need a lot of care, but Marie kept an eye on the Kong coleus because, true to its name, it can get pretty big — up to 20 inches tall. If any stems grew out of proportion with the planting, she cut them back along with any flowers that formed. If dichondra sends out a stray stem, it’s easy to snip it off to maintain the neat and tidy look essential for eye-catching curb appeal.

Key container plants

A) ColeusColeus scutellarioides Kong^® Rose
B) New Guinea impatiensImpatiens hawkeri Painted Paradise Orange
C) DichondraDichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’
Container is 40 in. tall x 23 in. wide

Enter Garden Gate’s 2027 Reader Container Challenge!

Submit photos of your best container gardens, and we’ll choose our favorites to feature in a future issue of Garden Gate Magazine. The containers can be any size, season or style! See full entry rules here.

Pretty in Pink

Heather Markway, MO | @lifegardenstyle

This corner only gets an hour or two of sunlight each day, making it a challenge to grow plants there. So Heather nestled this lovely urn filled with colorful shade annuals into the corner where her sunporch meets the house.

The iron-framed urn needed a coir liner to hold in the potting mix, but its unusual shape made it necessary for Heather to get creative. She used an ordinary hanging basket liner at the base of the urn, then cut a sheet of coir to cover the “walls” of the urn.

With a tall caladium as the thriller, begonias and sedge as the filler and dichondra as the spiller, this classic container formula couldn’t be prettier or easier to care for. Besides watering, all Heather had to do to keep it tidy was occasionally tug off a spent begonia bloom or trim a stray dichondra stem. If the begonia gets too tall and competes too much with the caladium, just cut it back by a third. New compact growth will take off in a few weeks.

Key container plants

A) CaladiumCaladium bicolor ‘Bottle Rocket’
B) BegoniaBegonia Dragon Wing^® Pink
C) SedgeCarex oshimensis ‘Everillo’
D) BrowalliaBrowallia Endless^™ Illumination
E) DichondraDichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’
Container is 30 in. tall x 16 in. wide

Bold & Beautiful Planter

Summer Bryan, GA| @petals_of_summer

With a west-facing front porch in Georgia where temperatures easily reach 100 degrees F and higher, Summer needed a group of plants that could take the tough growing conditions. This collection of heat lovers fit the bill. She placed the tall papyrus toward the back of the pot, where it supplies plenty of elegant drama. Then she added a bright red geranium and begonias, orange coleus and chartreuse creeping Jenny for eye-catching color. It’s perfect for drawing visitors over to sit on the porch. The blue glazed container cools the hot colors down a bit and coordinates with the dark siding.

Summer keeps plants happy through the heat with drip irrigation held in place with landscape pins. She makes sure to position the emitters so they’re watering at soil level instead of splashing the leaves, in order to avoid fungal disease in her densely planted pots.

Key container plants

A) PapyrusCyperus papyrus King Tut^®
B) BegoniaBegonia Dragon Wing^® Red
C) Mealycup sageSalvia farinacea
D) VerbenaVerbena hybrid
E) BacopaChaenostoma cordatum
F) Creeping JennyLysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
G) GeraniumPelargonium hybrid
H) ColeusColeus scutellarioides ‘Alabama Sunset’
I) EvolvulusEvolvulus hybrid
Container is 30 in. tall x 24 in. wide

See Previous Year’s Container Challenge Winners:
2026 Winners
2025 Winners
2024 Winners
2023 Winners

Pollinator Paradise

Sue Cashman, WI | @sue.cashman.167

This big resin container is packed with colorful flowers and was one of Sue’s favorites last year—and the neighborhood hummingbirds liked it too! It sits in a hot, dry spot in full sun, which is just what lantanas love, but marguerite daisies can struggle there. Fortunately, Golden Butterfly is more heat tolerant than older varieties so made it through Sue’s Wisconsin summer just fine. Deadheading its yellow blooms isn’t essential, but she snipped out fading ones to keep it looking tip-top.

Sue liked this design so much that she packed the canna bulbs away last fall to overwinter so she can bring them out in spring and grow this combo again.

Key container plants

A) CannaCanna x generalis Cannova^® Red Golden Flame
B) Marguerite daisyArgyranthemum Golden Butterfly^®
C) LantanaLantana Luscious^® Citrus Blend^™
D) LantanaLantana Bandana^® Black Cherry
Container is 22 in. tall x 16 in. wide

Prizes for 2026’s Container Challenge Honorable Mentions

This year’s Garden Gate Container Challenge Honorable mentions received a $50 gift card from Garden Crossings and a one-year subscription or extension to Garden Gate magazine.

Spring is here, and garden centers will soon be bursting with colorful flowers and foliage perfect for container planting. Whether you’re sprucing up a patio, deck or border, the possibilities are endless — and sometimes overwhelming. Take inspiration from fellow gardeners to help you kick-start a design or get out of the same old routine.

Our readers have shared their most exciting creations, offering some stunning designs and unique plant pairings you can use to transform your outdoor spaces. In addition, you’ll find helpful growing tips and plant lists along with each design. Thanks to everyone who entered our 2026 Container Challenge, and congratulations to all the winners! Ready to dig in? Let these ideas guide your container planting plans this year.

Read More: See the 2026 Container Challenge Honorable Mentions

Enter Garden Gate’s 2027 Container Challenge!

Submit photos of your best container gardens, and we’ll choose our favorites to feature in a future issue of Garden Gate magazine. The containers can be any size, season or style! See full entry rules and submit your photos here.

Elegant Entry Container

Deborah Trickett, MA | @thecapturedgarden

With a focus on foliage, these traditional-looking urns provide a beautiful low-care greeting that lasts for months near this shady entry. Deborah wanted containers that were simple but made a dramatic impact, even from a distance. Stately snake plant is a great choice for grabbing attention, and she likes the way the purple foliage of the inch plant plays off the yellow siding. Both plants are easy to overwinter indoors. Deborah bought an inch plant in a hanging basket and split it to plant in both urns, and the divisions quickly took off.

Key container plants

A) Snake plantSansevieria trifasciata ‘Ghost’
B) New Guinea impatiensImpatiens hawkeri Sonic^® Light Lavender
C) Inch plantTradescantia zebrina
D) Fanflower Scaevola aemula Whirlwind^® White
Urns are 24 in. tall x 18 in. wide

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Colorful Shade Container

Kelly Stankelis, CT

Keeping this corner on Kelly’s shady deck colorful was easy last summer with a square blue ceramic container that perfectly fit the space. It was filled with cheery yellow Rieger begonias along with a supporting cast of chartreuse creeping Jenny and cool-colored wishbone flower, and topped off with a canopy of upright papyrus.

Kelly didn’t even have to deadhead these plants to keep the container looking great. Rieger begonias are a cross between tuberous and wax begonias, with flowers that can last for months in a cool spot out of the hot afternoon sun. And the wishbone flower is self-cleaning. All she needed to do to get a great performance was give this grouping a thorough watering two to three times a week.

Key container plants

A) PapyrusCyperus papyrus King Tut^®
B) Rieger begoniaBegonia Amstel Blitz
C) Wishbone flowerTorenia hybrid
D) Creeping JennyLysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
Container is 18 in. square

Fabulous Foliage-Focused Container

Lynnie Goss, OH

Lynnie loves creating containers with lots of color and texture, and last year’s planter was especially colorful. It sat next to her driveway under the kitchen window, where leaves stretched to frame her view.

This spot gets morning sun and shade for the rest of the day, so the caladium and fern leaves stay colorful without getting burned. The remaining container companions will grow just fine in full sun. Lynnie’s maintenance schedule was light. She fertilized a couple of times during the growing season, snipped off coleus blooms as they formed and removed fading caladium leaves.

Key container plants

A) ColeusColeus ‘Wasabi’
B) CaladiumCaladium ‘Burning Heart’
C) Australian sword fernNephrolepis obliterata ‘Kimberly Queen’
D) Purple heartTradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’
E) English ivyHedera helix ‘Golden Curl’
F) Sweet potato vineIpomoea Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Mahogany^™
Planter is 10 in. deep x 12 in. wide x 45 in. long

2026 Container Challenge Winning Prize Package

This year’s Garden Gate Container Challenge top winners each received the following prizes:

• A custom-engraved 30-inch ColorMark Rain Wand From Dramm
• $150 gift cards from Garden Crossings
• A set of three Woodland Tools
• A one-year subscription or extension to Garden Gate magazine

Dealing with scale on citrus trees and other plants

You can’t expect to grow a robust lemon tree outdoors in most zones colder than zone 9. But you can care for the same citrus year after year by growing it in a container and overwintering the plant indoors. Michele moves her potted lemon tree and potted bay plant into her home for the winter season. But overwintered plants can be susceptible to common houseplant diseases while sharing the space inside. By the time spring returns and it’s warm enough to move the plants outside, they often are dusty and infected with scale. Instead of applying insecticidal soap, Michele opted for a faster and more thorough solution to removing the scale and dust.

Use a mesh-covered sponge to gently remove scale from plant leaves

She grabbed a Dobie sponge (though any similar mesh-covered sponge should do the trick) and lightly scraped it across the tops and undersides of leaves, rinsing the sponge every few leaves to let the scale wash down the drain. The mesh casing of the sponge adds just enough abrasion to peel off the scale without harming the leaf, and the damp sponge adds a little moisture to help remove the layer of dust as well. While you’re at it, check all your houseplants for scale infestations and get them taken care of at the same time. A sponge makes the task quicker, easier and less messy!

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Stepping into the garden and discovering that the plants you’ve lovingly nurtured are now looking ragged, or even stripped bare, is incredibly frustrating. Voracious insect pests can quickly unravel your hard work and shatter your garden dreams.

Finding the culprit is the first step to getting your garden back on track. While many pests are widespread, I talked with experts from various regions to find out which ones were causing the most trouble in their areas and what you can do about them. One thing they all agreed on: Tackling pest problems with integrated pest management (IPM) is easier on the environment and helps prevent pesticide resistance.

What is IPM?

This decision-making approach for pest control starts with low-environmental-impact strategies first, then steps up the strength of the response if necessary. For example, when you notice damage, use an insect identification app or check your county extension resources to pinpoint the culprit. Then decide how much damage you can tolerate. If you’re willing to wait it out, many pest problems fizzle as the moisture or temperatures change, and most plants will bounce back with new growth in just a few weeks.

More About IPM Practices:
IPM Basics: Controlling Weeds
IPM Basics: Controlling Pests
IPM Basics: Controlling Garden Diseases

If you find that a problem returns every year, the next level of prevention could include cultural practices, such as growing resistant varieties, rotating crops or using row cover or landscape fabric to prevent pests from laying eggs. If all else fails, the final step might be a targeted chemical control, whether it’s organic or synthetic. The idea is to be strategic and only do the minimum necessary to deal with the most damaging pests in your garden.

Find out which garden pests are causing issues in your region

We asked regional gardening experts which pests are causing issues in their part of the country and which ones to look out for. Click your region in the list below to find more details about each pest:

Pacific Northwest

• European earwig (Forficula auricularia)
• Bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius)
• Lookout for this rising pest:Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica)

Midwest

• Roseslug sawfly (Endelomyia aethiops)
• Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae)
• Lookout for this rising pest:Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)

Southeast

• Larger canna leafroller (Calpodes ethlius)
• Crape myrtle bark scale (Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae)
• Lookout for this rising pest: Cotton jassid (Amrasca biguttula)

Northeast

• Four-lined plant bug (Poecilocapsus lineatus)
• Bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis)
• Lookout for this rising pest: Allium leaf miner (Phytomyza gymnostoma)

Regional Pest Watch: Midwest

Regional Expert: Kyle Broderick, Associate Extension Educator, Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Even with hot, humid summers and winter temperatures that get below 0 degrees F, there are lots of pests to battle in Midwest gardens. Our regional expert shares three to be on the lookout for along with helpful tips for identifying and managing them.

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Roseslug sawfly (Endelomyia aethiops)

These ½-inch-long yellow-green caterpillars with an orange head do all the damage and are active from spring to early summer. The adult looks like a fly but is actually a wasp.

What roseslug sawfly eats

This pest eats all kinds of roses (Rosa spp. and hybrids), but it is especially attracted to rambling roses.

Damage to look for

The caterpillar chews and scrapes the upper surface of leaves, creating a windowpane effect. Damage is mostly cosmetic and may diminish flowering, but it won’t kill the rose. Professor Broderick noticed that populations were high in recent years but finds that they tend to peak and wane over time.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tips

Handpick caterpillars early in the season or spray them off with a strong stream of water. Beetles, birds, parasitic wasps and small mammals will feed on the roseslug sawfly. Insecticidal soap can help but must come into contact with the larvae to work. Spray both the upper and lower leaf surfaces in early morning or early evening, when cooler temperatures keep the soap from drying too quickly, so more larvae are affected.

Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae)

These tiny arachnids measure 1⁄50 of an inch long and range in color from rusty green to brown, yellow, red or orange with two black spots on their backs. They are most active from spring through summer and produce multiple generations per year.

What two-spotted spider mites eat

Two-spotted spider mites are a problem for more than 200 plant species.

Damage to look for

Adults and nymphs (juveniles that look like the adults but are smaller) use piercing mouthparts to feed on the undersides of leaves, which causes a stippled or mottled look. As populations rise, plants look bronzed or bleached, leaves and flowers become distorted and these spider relatives produce webbing often found on the undersides of the leaves. They thrive in dry growing conditions and temperatures above 90 degrees F. Healthy plants can withstand some mites, but stressed ones may succumb.

IPM tips

To prevent infestations, use mulch, choose drought-tolerant plants and don’t fertilize during a drought. Spraying with water can help dislodge two-spotted spider mites from foliage.

Look out for this rising pest in the Midwest:

Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)

The 1-inch-long spotted lanternfly adults have brown forewings with black spots and black, white and scarlet hind wings. They’re active from spring through fall and produce one generation of black to red nymphs per year.

What spotted lanternfly eats

First spotted in Pennsylvania in 2014, this colorful, invasive plant hopper is slowly spreading to other states. It feeds on more than 100 plant species, such as grape vines (Vitis spp.), hops (Humulus lupulus), maple (Acer spp. and hybrids) and fruit trees, along with a host of ornamental garden plants.

Damage to look for

Both nymphs and adults use piercing mouthparts to feed, which results in oozing sap, wilting, leaf curling and dieback. They also produce honeydew, which smells bad as it ferments and attracts wasps, ants and bees. The damage doesn’t usually kill plants but causes stress that allows other pests or diseases to move in.

IPM tips

Remove the weedy tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), as it is a favorite host plant. In fall, look for and remove the distinctive 1-inch-long egg masses, which look like smeared mud on tree trunks.

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Regional Pest Watch: Northeast

Regional Expert: Dr. Ana Legrand, PhD, Entomologist, University of Connecticut

Snow-covered winters and warm, humid summers create ideal growing conditions for plants—and garden pests. Our regional expert shares how to identify three common pests and the damage they can cause in your garden.

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Four-lined plant bug (Poecilocapsus lineatus)

This 1/3-inch-long green-yellow plant bug has four black stripes and is most active in late spring to early summer. The nymphs are bright red to orange with black spots on the abdomen.

Favorite plant

The four-lined plant bug is a pest of more than 250 plant species but seems especially fond of plants in the mint family.

Damage to look for

Both adults and nymphs use piercing mouthparts to feed on foliage. This causes black or brown spots that are often confused with fungal disease. In small numbers, four-lined plant bug feeding only makes the plants look bad. But with a big population, entire leaves can curl up and fall off. New growth may be deformed.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tips

Insecticidal soap can get rid of nymphs. Handpick the larger adults. Dr. Legrand recommends holding a container of soapy water under infested foliage and tapping the plant so these fast-moving insects fall in and drown. Look closely at leaf stems for 2- to 3-inch-long scarring where females have made small slits to lay eggs. Remove these leaves and put them in the trash to prevent the next generation from developing.

Bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis)

You’re more likely to see the “bags,” or cases, than the gray caterpillars with dark splotches inside them. The bags start small and get larger as the caterpillar grows and adds more foliage pieces. Bagworms are active in spring through summer, producing one generation per year.

Favorite plants

Bagworms are attracted to a wide range of conifers, including arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), juniper (Juniperus spp. and hybrids) and spruce (Picea abies). They’ll also feed on deciduous trees, such as sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis) and linden (Tilia spp.).

Damage to look for

Bagworm larvae eat the needles and foliage of their host tree. Though the damage is light at first, as the larvae grow they cause serious defoliation, which can be especially hard on evergreens.

IPM tips

Keep an eye out for the distinctive bags the larvae create from silk and bits of foliage from the host plant. Pull or cut them off and send them away in the trash. For larger trees or infestations, spray Bt when young bagworms emerge in late spring to early summer.

Rising pest to look out for in the Northeast:

Allium leaf miner (Phytomyza gymnostoma)

The small gray 1/8-inch-long flies have a yellow head and produce two generations of cream 5/16-inch-long larvae each year. They’re most active in spring and fall.

Favorite plant

Ornamental allium (Allium spp. and hybrids), chives, garlic and leeks are beginning to be attacked by this new invasive pest in Northeast gardens.

Damage to look for

In spring and fall, females lay eggs on the tips of allium leaves. The spring larvae tunnel through the leaves and leaf sheaths, causing disfigured foliage and creating openings for fungi and bacteria. In fall the larvae overwinter.

IPM tips

Insect netting or row cover can help prevent adults from laying eggs in spring. Keep an eye out for rows of white spots (the injury caused by egg laying) descending from leaf tips near the ends of the leaves, and remove any that you find. Rotate crops and clean up the garden in fall so larvae don’t have a place to overwinter.

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Regional Pest Watch: Pacific Northwest

Regional Expert: Nicole Sanchez, Associate Professor of Horticulture, Oregon State University

Mountain ranges create diverse growing environments here, with one side having fertile soil and regular winter rainfall, while the other is dry and arid. Our regional expert shares a couple of pests that can wreak havoc on your garden in the Pacific Northwest and one that is rising in the area to watch out for.

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European earwig (Forficula auricularia)

These red-brown ⅝-inch-long insects with long or short cerci (the pincerlike appendage in back) are most active in spring through fall and have one or two generations per year.

What European earwig eats

Though earwigs eat aphids and other insects, they also feed on seedlings, flowers, foliage, soft fruit and vegetables. Fast moving with a big tail-end pincer, this insect also has the startle factor when it darts out from under foliage or a container.

Damage to look for

Earwigs are most active at night, chewing holes in fruit, flowers and leaves. This voracious pest can decimate entire plants or a row of seedlings in a single feeding, then hides during the day.

Integrated pest management (IPM) tips

Professor Sanchez finds this homemade trap helpful in reducing earwig damage: She fills an empty 16-ounce plastic container about a third full with vegetable oil, adds a little soy sauce and cuts a few ½-inch holes in the lid before putting it back on the container. Then she digs a hole and positions the container flush with the ground. The soy sauce lures earwigs into the trap, where the oil smothers them. Each morning she empties the trap and sets it again for another night.

Bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius)

Slender green-bronze ⅜-inch-long flathead beetles are most active in early summer and produce one generation of ¾- to 1-inch-long cream larvae per year.

What bronze birch borer eats

This beetle is a serious problem in the Pacific Northwest, killing birch (Betula spp. and hybrids) trees of all kinds, especially white-barked types. River birch (Betula nigra) seems to be somewhat resistant.

Damage to look for

Sparse yellow foliage and twig dieback in the upper crown are an early clue that bronze birch borer larvae are burrowing through a tree and disrupting its nutrient flow. The decline can be reversed if you catch it early, but if more than 50 percent of the crown is damaged, it likely can’t be saved. Look for small ⅛- to ¼-inch D-shaped exit holes in the bark where adults have emerged or zigzag lines on the bark.

IPM tips

Drought stress makes birch trees especially vulnerable. Keep them growing strong by choosing a planting spot on the north or east side of the house, where it’s cooler, watering during dry spells and providing a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch.

Look out for this rising pest in the Pacific Northwest:

Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica)

Shiny green and bronze, this ⅓- to ½-inch-long beetle is most active in early to midsummer and produces one generation of C-shaped ⅛-inch- long white grubs per year.

What Japanese beetles eat

Japanese beetles have become common in the Eastern United States and Midwest but are only now making their way into the Pacific Northwest. It eats hundreds of different plants, but rose (Rosa spp. and hybrids), canna (Canna spp. and hybrids) and hibiscus (Hibiscus spp. and hybrids) are some favorites.

Damage to look for

Metallic-looking adults feed on the flowers and upper surfaces of leaves and skeletonize them. Flower petals have holes or are completely consumed. While the damage looks bad, it doesn’t usually kill the plant. Larvae nibble on turfgrass roots below ground, which causes brown patches in the lawn.

IPM tips

Protect small plants with row cover from June to September when adults are active. You can also pick and drop adults into a bucket of soapy water. Avoid pheromone traps — they attract even more beetles. To create a less hospitable environment for egg laying and young larvae, don’t water your lawn in mid- to late summer.

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Southeast region pest watch

The long growing season in the Southeast means lots of flowers and a plentiful harvest—unless pests take over. We asked two regional experts, and they shared three pests that can wreak havoc on your garden and that Southeast gardeners should watch for.

Regional Experts: Shimat Joseph, Associate Professor of Entomology, University of Georgia & Alton Sparks, Professor of Entomology, University of Georgia

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Larger canna leafroller (Calpodes ethlius)

Eggs laid by the 1-inch brown Brazilian skipper butterfly hatch and grow into this 2-inch-long translucent green caterpillar with an orange head. Both are active in summer, and there are two generations per year.

What larger canna leafroller eats

Cannas (Canna spp. and hybrids) are by far the favorite plant of this butterfly’s pesky larvae. It will occasionally feed on Indian arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea).

Damage to look for

The caterpillar secures part of the canna leaf around itself with a silk strand for protection while feeding. Generally, it stays on the same leaf, eating and molting before metamorphosing into a butterfly. Severe infestations can defoliate plants.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tips

Handpick and squish the larvae to kill them. If you’ve had problems in the past, avoid growing red-leafed canna varieties and those with red or orange flowers. For large populations, spray Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). The caterpillars have to ingest this for it to be effective, so apply liberally to thoroughly coat the leaf.

Crape myrtle bark scale (Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae)

Dark red females grow ⅞ of an inch long and are covered with a white feltlike covering. Active in spring through summer, they produce two to four generations of pink nymphs per year.

What crape myrtle bark scale eats

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is by far the most common host for this invasive pest. Occasionally you’ll find it on beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), St. John’s wort (Hypericum spp. and hybrids) and boxwood (Buxus hybrids).

Damage to look for

Females and nymphs feed on the sap of small branches, twigs of trees and shrubs, and cluster around pruning cuts, causing poor growth, fewer flowers and leaf drop. Stem dieback can occur when populations are high. Bees and wasps are attracted to the scale’s honeydew, which can also cause sooty mold to develop.

IPM tips

Because of its covering, crape myrtle bark scale is a challenge to treat. This is still a relatively new pest, but researchers have found lady beetle larvae to be especially effective predators.

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Look out for this rising pest in the Southeast:

Cotton jassid (Amrasca biguttula)

The tiny ⅛-inch pale green cotton jassid has one dark spot on the back of each wing and moves diagonally, instead of straight ahead like most other insects. It’s active in summer, and each year it can produce up to 11 generations of pale green wingless nymphs that look similar to the adults.

What cotton jassid eats

Cotton jassid was first identified in Florida in 2024 and moved into Georgia and North Carolina in 2025. Cotton is a top choice for this invasive pest, but so is sunflower (Helianthus spp. and hybrids), tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), okra and eggplant.

Damage to look for

You’re likely to see the damage before noticing the insect, so if your plants have yellowing foliage that eventually turns red-brown, check the undersides of the leaves, especially around the third to fifth leaves from the terminal (the leaf at the end of the stem), for insects. Both nymphs and adults feed on sap.

IPM tips

Researchers are still looking for solutions. Spiders, lady beetles, ants and green lacewings are possible predators. If you find cotton jassid in your garden, contact your local extension agency.

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How to identify crape myrtle bark scale?

Crape myrtle bark scale (Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae), or CMBS, was first reported in North America around 2004, and has spread rapidly wherever crape myrtles grow. Its damage is rarely fatal to otherwise healthy crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp. and hybrids), but it’s unsightly and can reduce vigor and flowering. In severe cases you might see stunted growth or a few dead branches.

In Southern climates, there can be up to four generations of this sap-sucking scale insect per year. So you might find different stages on a tree at any time. Small, feltlike white or pale gray egg sacs hang along branches. Eventually they open, each releasing up to 300 pink nymphs, which crawl and fasten themselves to the bark to begin feeding. Some may be carried to other crape myrtle trees by wind or water.

As the adults feed, they excrete a sweet, sticky honeydew. It sticks to crape myrtle’s leaves and bark (and anything else underneath), eventually turning to a sooty black mold.

How to get rid of crape myrtle bark scale

Horticultural oils will suffocate CMBS at any stage of life. Read the label to determine the right mixture for the time of year. But before you spray, scrub off some of the worst infestation with soapy water and a stiff brush.

Because there can be several generations each year, timing is hard to determine. You’ll most likely need to spray several times during the growing season. Scientists are investigating biological controls, and plant breeders are working toward CMBS-resistant crape myrtles. But at this point, research is ongoing.

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