Question from V.J. in Cobourg, Ont.
How do I get rid of leaf curl on hydrangea or prevent the leaf curling pest on Annabelle hydrangeas?
Beckie’s reply:
There is a good discussion of the pest you describe on the Toronto Master Gardeners website (torontomastergardeners.ca).
According to their research, the curling of hydrangea leaves could be caused by one of two insects. “The hydrangea leaftier larva binds two or as many as four leaves together with strands of silk into a cup form and then feeds and rests between them,” according to the website. Pulling apart the leaves will reveal a half-inch-long slender green caterpillar with a black head.
The leafroller also causes similar damage, but rolls only one leaf, then feeds and rests within the rolled leaf.
Both insects cause unsightly damage, but won’t harm the shrubs. When you see the damage in early spring, remove the infested leaves and squash the caterpillars. Clean up the ground below the shrubs, too, because the caterpillars drop to the ground and pupate of the summer and emerge as adult moths the following spring.
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10 Comments
Build up the plants immunity by feeding it with manures or compost tea so it can have the strength to fight off the leaf rollers.
Can I make a spray at home?
I couldn’t see what kind of spray to use on the leaf roller on the hydrangea!
I’ve just spent about an hour cutting off the leaves & often the bloom buds! Looks like my bushes aren’t going to survive! Too many on both bushes to cut the leaves off!
What spray works that won’t hurt the bees, ladybugs etc.?
Thanks, Susan
Leaf tier larva on many of my leaves on my hydrangea , I have pulled apart and sprayed with soap and water, will this help? This is the second year I’ve had this happeng
I have been trying a pesticide called BTK and getting pretty good results. But you need to be persistent.
Sprays/treatments for both Leaf Tier larva and Leafroller on Annabelle Hydrangea
I have seen it mentioned by more than one master gardener that the Hydrangea leaf curler does not harm the plant but it does. If the leaf packet is not removed the plant will fall over and die. Even if you do remove them they stamina of the plant is reduced: the stems are shorter, the blooms smaller and fewer. I have been fighting them for about 10 years, They destroyed a 12 foot long hedge and I will be digging all the remains this summer . I need some suggestions for replacements.
U are right, I have them the second year and it made the bushes smaller,last year I pick them all and this year I will have to again,,,seems to me every year I find some new bugs on some things 🙁
thanks for listening
This is discouraging as I just planted over 30 hydrangea at our new house because i love the hydrangea blooms. This is the second year where i have seen this worm take over the plant. What to do? Will this worm run its course and then disappear or will i need to replace all these plants ?
hi–is there a pesticide spray that i can use to kill the worm on curly leafs–thanks