Hi all!

I am a worried house plant parent right now. I'm not sure if there is something wrong with some of my house plants or not...

The first question on I have is regarding my philodendron Brasil and my green philodendron. I'm not sure if they have pest or a disease- I initially thought scale but they don't come off that easy and don't look like the pictures of scale I've seen online. I sprayed a solution of 70 rubbing alcohol/dish soap/water just in case. Part of me doesn't think it's from pest but I don't remember seeing it before and I can't tell if it getting worse. Here are some pics:








I also have a panda plant that I believe has these new white spots. I first thought mealy bugs but I can't seem to just wipe them off this a q-tip dipped in alcohol like I've read online I should be able to do. I haven't done any other kind of treatment cause I read not to get their foliage wet so I'm not sure how to treat if it's mealy bugs. Here is a pic:



I also have a question about my Hoya carnosa compacta. I saw these spots on the plant at the nursery but knew the nursery has a good reputation plus I can't find the Hindu rope readily where I live so I kinda ignored any potential problems and went for it. Any help advice would be appreciated! Here is a pic of the Hindu rope:




I am just a really super worried plant parent right now and feel like I'm failing my plants. I'm not sure if my plants have pest cause it doesn't look like the pictures of pest that I've seen online. Any and all help/advice would be really appreciated!

Thank you in advance!

Hi Hoyahead, Welcome!

Your Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum var. oxycardium 'Brasil') looks fine to me. I think what you are seeing is lignification, where vines become more woody as they mature.

The small white spots on the leaf of your Panda Plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa) may not be anything to worry about either. It may be normal mechanical damage that sometimes happens when plants are moved around at nurseries and garden centers.

The gray/black on the reverse the leaf of your Hindu Rope Hoya (Hoya carnosa 'Compacta') may be a fungal issue which can occur in hot, humid conditions with lack of sufficient air circulation. Fungal issues can arise when a lot of plants are grouped together and there isn't a lot of air circulating. I'd remove the affected leaf so that it doesn't spread and maybe turn a fan on if possible to help with air movement.

Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it! I feel more at ease now and will take my philodendrons out of quarantine I'm so glad I found this forum to ask about my concerns cause I was starting to make myself go crazy debating if there was something wrong.

You are very welcome; I'm sure others will chime in with advice and suggestions before long. We all help each other and learn from each other around here!

Again, to the site and don't ever hesitate to ask questions or share your experiences with growing indoor plants!

Hello Hoyahead, Lin has given you a good suggestion...increase airflow around your plants, especially with your Hoyas. As for the Kalanchoe tomentosa, I have always found this plant much better to grow outdoors, it can take a bit more direct sun since it has fuzzy leaves, but in the afternoons best to have it in some dappled sun area. Depending on your summer situation, if it is rainy, got to allow good dry out time, to avoid those fungal looking scars. If it is too dry and no rain like my area, then water generously, but still allow excess water to drain out properly.

I agree that the Philodendron is fine.

It is hard to tell from the photos if those are mealybugs on your Panda Plant. They might be specks of perlite. If they blow or wipe off easily, they are unlikely to be mealybugs.

Closeup photos can sometimes give a distorted view and may magnify a minor problem into something more serious. Can you provide a photo that shows the entire Hoya?

The white spots don't come off easily on the panda plant...if I try to scrap them off I have to dig into the flesh of the plant...I feel mealy bugs shouldn't be that hard to remove but then again I don't know- just got into the house plant world a few months ago.

Here is an overall pic of my Hoya..

Your Hoya looks fine and I don't see any evidence of mealybugs. Keep up the good work and enjoy your new hobby!

On the leaf of your Panda Plant, I see what appears to be a couple of bits of perlite and to the right below the perlite, I see a couple of small spots that just looks like the plant tissue has calloused over, which could have been caused by small holes from insect bites or mechanical damage from bumping, etc. If it isn't spreading, I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Is that last hoya photo the same plant as pictured in your first set of photos? The leaves look to be yellower which may be a watering issue.