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Mildew or Infestation? Laurel??

AcuwellAcuwell Posts: 87
in Problem solving
Hello
Can anyone help me please?  I think this may be a Portuguese Laurel but not sure.  I have no idea what is on the leaves - can anyone identify both and advise how to deal with the problem?  Many thanks. 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited January 2022
    I think it's an elaeagnus.
    The spots on the leaves may be scale insects - do they come off if you scrape the leaf with your fingernail?

    PS - I should have said the underside of the leaf (which is where they usually live)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I agree - an Eleagnus.

    They also look a bit like the casings of aphids/whitefly. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    Definitely Eleagnus - but I think that sort of silvery spotting on the young leaves is quite normal.  It almost looks like felt when the leaves first emerge - and gradually disappears as they age.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • AcuwellAcuwell Posts: 87
    Thanks so far - looks like it is Eleaganus by majority vote!  BUT is it an infestation or the normal silvery spotting.  It looks quite ugly to me, not healthy at all?
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    They look like scale insects to me, I get the same on my Euonymus, in fact I  noticed some on the leaves the other day. On Euonymus you can hard prune but others will advise on Eleagnus as I don't have one.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I know exactly what @Liriodendron means about way foliage first appears on Eleagnus, but it didn't look quite right for that to me. 
    Perhaps give it a month or two and see what happens @Acuwell. They're pretty indestructible, and you can certainly prune them back quite hard without any problem. I'd leave it for now though, unless it's mild where you are for the foreseeable.   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I had one ages ago and I recall the soft down on new leaves, but I'm not sure that's what it is.
    There's a couple of pics on this thread showing the down and another with scale insects.
    https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/elaeagnus-silverberry-disease.21454/

    They are very tough shrubs, so prune it if you like and as much as you like.
    They grow back quickly in the spring.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I have one [not that I look at it much - it's just a windbreak at the side path ] but it doesn't look like that when it has new foliage. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    That's a useful link, @Pete.8.  I'm now sure that those of you who diagnosed scale insects are right... sorry.  The good news is that a hard prune once the weather warms up a bit will hopefully get rid of the infestation, and rejuvenate the shrub.   :)
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
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