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Foam on rosemary

LatimerLatimer Posts: 1,068
in Problem solving
Hello all, is this something I should be concerned about?


I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Just frog hoppers in 'cuckoo spit'. It will be gone shortly.
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    It’s ‘cuckoo spit’. Beneath the foam you’ll find a little green sap sucking froghopper insect. I just brush them off with my fingers but a jet of water will work too.
    Rutland, England
  • LatimerLatimer Posts: 1,068
    Thanks @Fire and @BenCotto 👍🏽
    I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    It's very common on lavender too.  It's harmless but if you don't like the look of it you can just hose it off.  (It often returns though, but won't go on for long!)
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • ShepherdsBarnShepherdsBarn Posts: 401
    But the larvae eat young leaves and if it is sucking the sap that doesn't sound too good? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Does it not cause a problem for the plant?
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Not really. You can get a little mottling on leaves of plants like roses.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited May 2022
    They rarely eat enough of the leaves to be noticeable, and they're part of the great cycle of life, providing food for birds etc.  I love to see it ... reminds me of my childhood when we'd keep an eye out for it and hope to hear the cuckoo calling ... that's how it got it's name ... because it appears when the cuckoos do.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    The nymphs can cause some leaf distortion if feeding on the tips but nothing serious. The RHS advises to leave them in the garden as they are part of its biodiversity:
    Cuckoo spit (spittlebugs) / RHS Gardening

    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    I have them on my Salvias, I just let them be, they will be gone soon enough.
  • AthelasAthelas Posts: 946
    edited May 2022
    Same here — I’ve not noticed any damage on my rosemary or lavender with them. I used to hose it off with water but seems they come back anyway, so I don’t bother anymore.

    Rosemary beetles are another thing — I squish them on sight!
    Cambridgeshire, UK
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