"Emrys Davies" wrote in message
...
"Spider" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone,

Help! I'm desperate. My favourite Hebe has been afflicted by a
disease?/pest?/fungal problem? which has all but decimated it. It
appears
on all young(er) shoots. There is some distortion, some (mostly)
parallel
tunnelling, and some whitish powdery deposits. The deposits don't
show up
too well, but you can see the tunnelling clearly.

Early signs of the tunnelling do not show up on photographs, but
appear as
elongated areas of leaf surface separation, rather like blistering,
yet the
two surfaces are green and appear healthy. It is very subtle at this
stage.
However, the new shoot tip looks generally sickly. Some shoots,
however,
have produced tight green flower spikes, although some of these appear
dry
and brown (eventually black); some fall off while others remain in the
plant. Similarly, some dead (brown) leaves fall while other cling on.

The brown parallel tunnelling you see in the pics is, I believe, the
same
'blistered' area as above, but it seems older, dryer and sometimes
distorted. In one sample I saw (not pictured), was a possible
entry/exit
hole. However, this break in the tunnel may have been caused by
mechanical
damage to the brittle leaf.

Older and different samples show the tunnels and other areas of damage
blackened.


http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Spider...09972487607730

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Spider...10684343508322

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Spider...10701671843986

This hebe has had a history of black spot, but had previously coped
well
with it, with a little help. It was vigorous and put on lots of
healthy
growth and copious flowers each year. This afternoon, as I trimmed it
back
(to almost nothing :~(( ), I noted several froths of cuckoo spit
complete
with leaf hopper; a tiny pear-shaped beige casing which may have been
a
parasitised insect or a pupal case, and several spiders.

It was not in this state when it came through the winter. There was
some
leaf spot and some frosted shoots, but these were pruned out. It had
been
fed, watered and mulched about six weeks ago. I can't imagine it's
something I've done, but I just want to save it if possible. Any
ideas
anyone?

TIA.
Spider

I feel sure that the Hebe Society http://www.hebesoc.org/ will be able
to help you, particularly in view of the fact that you have such good
photographs of your problem.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.


Thanks ever so much, Emrys. I'll give that a try. I should have thought of
it, but I was panicking and beside myself with misery. Many years ago, I
met Graham Hutchins, proprietor of County Park Nursery and a top man in the
Hebe Society. With some luck, I may even be able to buy a replacement from
him. A couple of months ago, I stuck a handful of cuttings in the ground,
but there is no sign yet that they have taken - or, indeed, have escaped the
same affliction. My fingers are well and truly crossed!

Thanks again.
Spider