Plants Japanese Beetles DON'T Eat
August 2008
Japanese Beetles! They appeared in some neighborhoods in alarming numbers and proceeded to eat and eat and eat ...
Due to the large numbers that congregate, these relatively small beetles can quickly damage and sometimes defoliate ornamental landscape plants. Generally there are four main control strategies recommended to the homeowner: Handpicking, pheromone traps, insecticide sprays to control adult beetles and grub control products that are applied to the soil in landscape beds and lawn areas.
Often forgotten is plant selection ... another important control measure! For example, Japanese beetles seldom attack red maples (Acer rubrum), but will feed on Japanese maple foliage.
Trees that are most attractive to adults include: Norway maple, birch and pin oak, sycamore, purple leaf plums, elm and cherry trees, willows and lindens. Other target foliage includes Virginia creeper, blackberries,grapes and crapemyrtles. Field trials in Mississippi have shown 'Acoma', 'Pocomoke' and 'Pink Velour' crapemyrtles to be more resistant to damage than many other common cultivars.
While most insect species only attack plant foliage, adult Japanese beetles eat both the flowers and foliage of plants such as roses, butterfly bushes, and cannas. Apples, corn and the foliage of rhubarb is also at risk.
Japanese beetles are strong fliers and migrate from nearby turfgrass, where the larvae developed, to feed. The Japanese beetle grubs can also damage landscape plants ... feeding on a wide variety of plant roots and turfgrasses.
The following plant list is an excerpt from a Mississippi State University Extension Service bulletin. Many landscape plants commonly found in southwest Missouri are found in both categories!
RESISTANT TO DAMAGE BY JAPANESE BEETLES:
Red Maple & Sugar Maple
River Birch & Whitespire Birch
Eastern Redbud, Flowering Dogwood
Smoke Tree, Burning Bush, Hydrangeas
Ginkgo, Tulip Poplar
Japanese & American Holly
Saucer & Sweetbay Magnolia
Norway Spruce, Canadian Hemlock & Yew
GENERALLY DAMAGED BY JAPANESE BEETLES:
Japanese Maple & Norway Maple
Crapemyrtle & Althea (Rose of Sharon)
London Planetree
Sandcherry & Purpleleaf Plum
Weeping Willow & Pussy Willow
Chinese Wisteria
Excepts from: Mississippi State University Extension Service 'Guide to Selecting Landscape and Garden Plants Based on Susceptibility to Adult Japanese Beetles'
What's New?
Blooms in the heat of summer!
Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora' - The cold-hardy PeeGee Hydrangea Tree is a reliable summer bloomer. Huge panicles of ivory flowers cascade from arching branches in summer and turn to dusky purple, then pink and finally a wheat color by winter. Because it flowers on new growth, shorten the branches in early spring to keep it small. The cut blooms are lovely in fresh or dried arrangements and gardeners report that both deer and Japanese beetles seem to leave PeeGee hydrangea alone!
Bubbling Urn Fountain
Water continuously bubbles up and over the top, adding movement and soothing sound to your landscape. The Aquabasin water reservoir hidden beneath the gravel mulch can support one or more pots or other decorative fountains. Check ‘Resources’ for more info and come take a look at the fountain setup at the front door to Wickman's Garden Village in Springfield. Looking for a distinctive water feature for a sunroom, hotel lobby or other large indoor space? Ask for Bonnie in the Garden Center.
Althea for Summer Blooms!
Hibiscus syriacus - Althea, aka Rose of Sharon shrub, is also available in a tree form. Trained to grow as a single stem plant, althea standards are generally a little less expensive than grafted lilac trees and hydrangea standards. Another bonus, you have your choice of flower color – red, pink, white or purple.
Hostas for Sun & Shade
Exceptional plants that bring unique color, texture, and form to the garden, hostas are truly high performance perennials! They work equally well in a perennial or shrub border, as background plants, specimens, ground covers or edging plants. Generally considered a perennial for the shade, most hostas will tolerate some sun if well-watered. Cultivars labeled ‘sun tolerant’ hold leaf color better than others in sunny locations, but they may still show some burning in hot, dry conditions.
Norway Maple
Newly arrived Norway Maples are great choices for any urban yard! Cultivars such as Emerald Queen are a moderate grower becoming approximately 25 feet tall by 20 feet wide in 20 years. They turn a gorgeous bright eye catching yellow in the fall.
Stellar Pink Dogwood Cornus ‘Rutgan’
A very vigorous, upright growing dogwood hybrid. The round, overlapping bracts are a soft pink and are similar in size and shape to those of the native dogwood Cornus florida. A small tree, it matures at approximately 20’ tall and wide. Stellar Pink is one of several hybrids released by Rutgers University that have proven resistant to a foliar disease known as Dogwood Anthracnose.
Korean Lilac Tree
Syringa meyeri 'Palibin' - one of the best 'tree form' specimen plants for spring color is the grafted dwarf Korean Lilac Tree. Great in tight spots, it only grows to 6’ tall , 5’ wide over time. It is covered in fragrant purple blooms in the spring and has small, dark green wavy leaves that look great all summer. Prune the Korean Lilac just after it blooms to control the size and to encourage a compact, densely branched ‘head’. Just be sure to plant it in a sunny spot!
Full-Service Location
Wickman’s Garden Village Springfield location includes a retail nursery, full service garden center, gift shop, florist and ladies boutique! The year-round production greenhouse grows culinary herbs, a wide variety of bedding plants and seasonal specialty plants for retail sales and landscape projects. Wickman’s second location is just east of Monett, MO on Hwy 60. Landscape consultation, design and installation services are offered at both locations.