What is this white stuff?

Disputanta, VA(Zone 7a)

Trying to figure out what to do with this thunbergia bush/shrub. I bought this late spring & these white sticky "somethings"on the leaves & now bark is growing/spreadying like crazy.

Thumbnail by davis1676
Disputanta, VA(Zone 7a)

2nd picture. Can anyone id this for me?

Thumbnail by davis1676
Richland, WA(Zone 7b)

It looks like wooly aphids or cottony cushion scale to me- either way you have a bad case and it will be hard to get rid of. For small areas you can use a cotton swab dipped in an alcohol dilution, but I would say first use a hard blast with the garden hose followed by spraying pyrethrin.

Disputanta, VA(Zone 7a)

wow, I don't know if I should try to save it or not? This bush (which I've never seen in bloom) is loaded with the crud & it would take a lot of effort to scrub each infestation. I need to try to find a picture of the bush.

Richland, WA(Zone 7b)

If it was my plant I would trash it ASAP! Either of the aphids or scale are very difficult to remove completely and one little remnant will bounce back hundredfold!

Letohatchee, AL

Don't trash it....if its a thumbergia they are pretty hardy...cut it down to about 4-5 inches or even higher if you have longer stems with no leaves. burn or bag the stuff you cut off with in seconds..lol then get a spray bottle and use malathion with a few drops of dish soap..I like Palmolive, takes that nasty smell of the malathion away..and the soap sticks the malathion to the plant..spray it down everyday for about a week maybe less.....watch your new leaves for any bugs....

I have saved many high dollar tropicals that way.....

Disputanta, VA(Zone 7a)

thanks for the tips but dh threw it in the trash last night and pick up was this morning. :-(

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