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I have two plants, one can brown spots I can scrape off and the other has white spots which are stuck to the leaves. I've just had an infestation of spider mites and they were absolutely horrendous to get rid off (knock on wood), now I feel slightly paranoid about another infestation of pests and diseases.

If anyone could tell me the names of the plants I would also really appreciate it!

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  • Can you add another photo of the first plant, with the brown spots, taken from further away so we can see the whole plant for ID purposes please?
    – Bamboo
    Feb 14, 2018 at 17:54
  • I've added another photo now. My cats have a bad habit of eating the tips of the leaves though, they're supposed to be pointy.
    – Speceus
    Feb 14, 2018 at 18:05
  • So, are the stems with brown marks at the base of the small palm in the final picture? Its not a different plant?
    – Bamboo
    Feb 14, 2018 at 18:14
  • It's the same plant. The brown spots are all the way up the stems. I don't see any on the leaves.
    – Speceus
    Feb 14, 2018 at 19:29
  • I see you have figured out the answers to your questions. You may answer your own question. Even mark it as accepted.
    – GardenGems
    Dec 8, 2019 at 6:26

3 Answers 3

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The plant in the first picture is an Areca palm, also known as "dypsis lutescens" and the spots on the stalk are not harmful to the plant, and very common. They shouldn't last long and won't affect the plant.

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Graphiola of palms

date palm

Looks like a fungus very common to palms that is attracting other insects and those white dots are eggs.

What kind of soil did you use? Do those pots have drainage holes?

Edit: This is another good article about palm diseases. This might be scale, but I doubt it at the moment. This article discusses fungal spots that grow through the leaf and can be scratched off...

common diseases of indoor palms

The white dots on your rubber tree plant are eggs. Don't know which insect laid them but I'll be you can find it in the rocks on top of your soil. I'd clean that off the surface for sure. Did you use potting soil or did you use garden soil? Is there a hole at the bottom of these pots? Have you fertilized?

Do not allow your cat to munch on the rubber tree plant. Your cat needs some kitty greens you grow on your window sill. Is your cat indoors only? Take scissors and cut a new point on your leaves.

I just need a bit more information to solve this...thanks!

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  • It looks like you deleted your other comment where I answered you... What you're describing looks nothing like what I have. The Areca Palm definitely doesn't have scale. Those brown spots are apparently very common and not dangerous at all.
    – Speceus
    Feb 16, 2018 at 8:12
  • The white dots on the rubber tree plant are also common on the plant, read this: "Ficus elastica leaves usually have small white dots near the leaf margins, which are regularly spaced, don't rub off, and may resemble bugs to the uninitiated. These are special cells called lithocysts, which are enlarged cells containing crystals of calcium carbonate." (plantsarethestrangestpeople.blogspot.dk/2011/08/…)
    – Speceus
    Feb 16, 2018 at 8:13
  • Secondly, my cats were biting in the Areca leaves which I've already looked up and made sure wasn't dangerous for them, they absolutely don't get to bite in the rubber plant and they have plenty of catnip and cat grass to eat. But thank you for assuming I don't know how to take care of my cats! (Which yes, are only indoors and on my balconies) And I don't use garden soil, I only use soil from the gardening center.
    – Speceus
    Feb 16, 2018 at 8:13
  • I appreciate your help, but what you've written so far just seems nothing like what I have (or what the pictures show), so I would really appreciate if you didn't answer unless you actually knew what was "wrong". It only made me freak out about having fungus and an egg infestation! :)
    – Speceus
    Feb 16, 2018 at 8:13
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White fly eggs (wipe off and squish) for anyone who comes across this post for their own plant now. The dark ones - not sure.

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