Red Mexican Bird of Paradise Bush

Question

My Bird of Paradise was doing very well. Suddenly the blooms stopped appearing and the ones that were blooming were beginning to wither. I checked it out and found a white sticky substance on the blooms themselves and on the stalks. What is it and how do I correct it?

Thank You

Patrick

Answer 1

If the white substance looks like little tufts of cotton, it's mealybug. They can be controlled with neem oil. this article should help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/mealybugs-white-residue-on-plants-leaves.htm