Scale on Spicebush - Ask Extension
I'm wondering what kind of scale this is and what I should do about it, if anything? This spicebush is struggling, which is why I checked on it today....
Knowledgebase
Scale on Spicebush #926927
Asked March 27, 2026, 6:12 PM EDT
I'm wondering what kind of scale this is and what I should do about it, if anything? This spicebush is struggling, which is why I checked on it today. It has large branches dying back, but it is sprouting new growth from the ground. It's not a young spicebush, but I'd like to keep it around for as long as I can. Please advise.
Baltimore City County Maryland
Expert Response
Scale ID often requires a microscope to examine the insect itself, but we can make an educated guess based on the appearance of the scale covers and the host plant. This might be European Fruit Lecanium Scale (despite the common name, it's a native species) or Tuliptree Scale.
Regardless of the species present, there are only two options: mechanical removal or chemical removal (insecticide). The latter is a measure of last resort, and given that this is a native plant and benefits wildlife, certainly you may want to skip that option, or only use low-risk, topical sprays like horticultural oil timed for when the crawlers are expected to be active. Mechanical removal could entail either rubbing off the scale by hand (they should brush/rub off using a gloved hand or sponge fairly easily, as long as you don't cut the bark in the process), or cutting the shrub back to the ground and letting it regrow. A drastic pruning might not remove 100% of the scale, but it will immediately remove most of them, and any few left on the lower bark of the stump might be sufficiently controlled by natural predators and parasites going forward so they don't surge in population again. Plus, you noted that some branches are dying back, so a drastic pruning would clean those up too. Often, plants under stress (drought, reflected heat from a nearby wall or pavement, limited root space, frequent heavy pruning, etc.) are more predisposed to pest outbreaks like scale, but sometimes it can be hard to tell what that original stress issue was.
Miri
Regardless of the species present, there are only two options: mechanical removal or chemical removal (insecticide). The latter is a measure of last resort, and given that this is a native plant and benefits wildlife, certainly you may want to skip that option, or only use low-risk, topical sprays like horticultural oil timed for when the crawlers are expected to be active. Mechanical removal could entail either rubbing off the scale by hand (they should brush/rub off using a gloved hand or sponge fairly easily, as long as you don't cut the bark in the process), or cutting the shrub back to the ground and letting it regrow. A drastic pruning might not remove 100% of the scale, but it will immediately remove most of them, and any few left on the lower bark of the stump might be sufficiently controlled by natural predators and parasites going forward so they don't surge in population again. Plus, you noted that some branches are dying back, so a drastic pruning would clean those up too. Often, plants under stress (drought, reflected heat from a nearby wall or pavement, limited root space, frequent heavy pruning, etc.) are more predisposed to pest outbreaks like scale, but sometimes it can be hard to tell what that original stress issue was.
Miri
