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Is this an image of scale pests #928255

Asked April 13, 2026, 1:17 PM EDT

Hello, I discovered these flat black spots on my jade plant. Will you help me identify it? Is it a species of scale?

St. Louis County Minnesota

Expert Response

Good Afternoon, 

Thank you for contacting the U of M Extension Service. 

I did some research and I believe the black spots are oedema from overwatering the plant. It is important that your plant is in a pot with good drainage. Oedema is a disease caused by the plant taking up more water than it can use. It happens in late winter alot. 

Please click on the following link about oedema: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/visual-guides/problems-common-to-many-indoor-plants

If you scroll down, it discusses oedema. Here is another detailed explanation. 

Oedema/edema
Oedema is a physiological disorder that can affect all plants. It occurs when the plant takes up more water than it can rid itself of via the process of transpiration. The word itself means 'swelling', which is usually the first symptom, and comes in the form of pale blisters or water-filled bumps on foliage. Under a variety of circumstances/cultural conditions, a plant's internal water pressure (turgidity) can become so high that some leaf cells rupture and leak their contents into inter-cellular spaces in leaf tissue, creating wet or weepy areas. Symptoms vary by plant, but as the malady progresses, areas of the leaf turn yellow, brown, brown with reddish overtones or even black, with older damage appearing as corky/ scaly/ ridged patches, or wart/gall-like bumpy growth. Symptoms are seen more frequently in plants that are fleshy, are usually more pronounced on the underside of leaves, and older/lower leaves are more likely to be affected than younger/upper leaves.
Oedema is most common in houseplants during the winter/early spring months, is driven primarily by excessive water retention in the soil, and can be intensified via several additional cultural influences. Cool temperatures, high humidity levels, low light conditions, or partial defoliation can individually or collectively act to intensify the problem, as can anything else that slows transpiration. Nutritional deficiencies of Ca and Mg are also known contributors to the malady.
Some things that can help you prevent oedema:
* Increase light levels and temperature
* Monitor water needs carefully – avoid over-watering. I'd heartily recommend a soil with drainage so sharp (fast) that when you to water to beyond the saturation point you needn't worry about prolonged periods of soil saturation wrecking root health/function. Your soil choice should be a key that unlocks the solutions to many potential problems.

Scale insects usually attack the stems of plants, or the underside of the leaves. I do not believe this is an insect. 

Good Luck!

Maureen Graber Replied April 13, 2026, 3:15 PM EDT

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