METAMORPHOSIS! ARACHNOPHOBIA!
NO NEED to be frightened!!
I just want to tell the story of How a bug turns into a beautiful Hydrangea 'Annabelle' arborescens!!!
First, let's talk a little bit about the annoying bug itself, the Leaf Tier bug!!! This little critter LOVES to go after Annabelle Hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescence). They get their name because they love to tie the leaves together!
So, EVERY spring as my annabelle leafs out, this tiny caterpillar critter nestles in between 2 leaves and starts to web the leaves together...Like This:
No One wants this thing to continue to live between the leaves and start to eat away at the emerging buds just so it can turn into a beautiful tiny beige moth!!
The only way to rid your plant of these things is to either a) cut the tips off, or b) squish the leaves together thus squishing the bug. Guess which I choose to do??? ha!
I choose to SQUISH!
SO here I have opened the leaves and you see the caterpillar- it's like 1/4 inch long and you can see the webbing
If I don't open up the leaves and squish this thing, it will stay in there and EAT THE EMERGING FLOWER! Can't have that! So below is after i took the 2 leaves and pressed together to squish the bug. It doesn't particularly looked squished here, but believe me...he's a goner
My bet is that I squished about 40 of these things. Every year they hit I'd say up to 75 or 80% of the emerging buds.
So , now that I saved my little florets, here is one happily starting to emerge. This is from May 18- SAME day I posted about my POTS! https://steemit.com/gardening/@gardenlady/anyone-looking-for-a-little-pot
And a few days after that it's getting bigger:
And bigger:
and even bigger:
Here is the whole shrub looking on the verge of opening up into full blossom just a couple days ago:
Now, this next part I'm posting because I just can't wait any longer for this shrub to complete it's blossoming, so I am (please don't get upset with me!!!) going to show you a photo I got on the internet of an Annabelle Hydrangea in full open blossom - mine is just not there yet and I just wanted to post this post already!!!!
Very interesting!!
Thank you for posting @gardenlady..
Lovely flowering shrub.....ever so refreshing in its appearance.
All the best to you and yours. Cheers.
thanks @bleujay!
when I clicked it I thought it was about a scary movie haha
but I love vampire films actually
congrats to your hydrangeas!
Always gotta find a hook ;-) to bring in a few interested souls!
well.. am glad you're up too
been busy as well?
we have been crazy busy!! march was so bad this year we only worked 5 days that month, and then we took on too much new work...now we are paying for it! Today was rain and we worked right through it!
I could imagine!
I hope that rain didn't beat you
too much work sounds like a blessing :)
good luck and stay healthy ^ ^
:0)
That is one gorgeous bush but yours will be prettier :)
aww, thanks! I hope so...I promise to post it when it's ready!
Look forward to it :)
Wonderful!, nature is amazing! :D
it is! thanks for checking out my post @dreamrafa!
Very interesting. I never heard of that bug. Thanks for the info.
Question: Does it only go after Annabelle or does it affect other hydrangeas?
Of all the hydrangeas, I've only seen it on annabelles. Not sure if it hits on any other type of shrub.