Camellias and Spider Mites

I’m a sucker for vintage Florida foliage, and camellias rank up there as one of my favorite flowers. Recently, spider mites have overtaken my largest camellia and have set their sights on my other two.

In my backyard, I have two seven-foot camellias that anchor the corner of my flower beds out my back door. A few paces beyond that is a roughly 12-foot camellia that is simply stunning. A local plant expert predicted it’s at least 40 years old. I wait impatiently through the winter months for the bit of warmth that inevitably occurs here in February. That warmth triggers a stunning number of blooms on my camellias that last about two to three weeks.

I do nothing to “care” for these camellias because they’re so established. Naturally, I wasn’t particularly alarmed when I discovered about a month and a half ago that the leaves on the biggest one had this brassy/gray discoloration along the leaf veins. Figuring that since the number of buds were still outrageously high, it couldn’t be a big deal. I waved it off.

As the month of January rolled on, the l noticed it was spreading to the entire bush. I started searching online for what could be causing the issue. I’m not sure if I was looking up the wrong words, but I could not find any articles or pictures that matched my issue.

According to the University of Florida, spider mites attack the usually-hardy camellia by using their sharp mouth parts to pierce the underside of the camellia leaf, feeding on the leaf juices. Eventually, the leaf begins to turn a bronze, gray color, beginning with the vein of the leaf. Confirming spider mite infestations involves tapping the leaf over a colored surface and observing whether fine white specks fall off.

Last weekend, it finally occurred to me to try looking up the term “bronze Camellia leaves.” I discovered it’s spider mites destroying my poor camellia.

I have found several suggestions for eradicating them, like blasting them with high-pressure water from a hose or using insecticidal soap, herbicides, or miticides. This infestation is particularly severe.

I went down to our local Lowe’s and purchased a bottle of Bayer Advanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease, and Mite Control. The reviews on it were great, so I gave it a try despite the heavy price tag. My husband sprayed on the first and second coats. Because spider mites are microscopic, it’s hard to know if what we’re seeing are live or dead mites after the application.

I can’t find much information about whether I can reverse the spider mite damage. Will my leaves ever be truly evergreen again? Only time will tell. This whole experience has certainly taught me an important lesson: garden issues don’t just magically resolve. Perhaps I’ll take a little less laissez-faire style approach to the next issue I notice among my most precious flowers.