My daylily flowers are distorted and the petals have white spots and streaks. What is causing this?
Thrips often damage daylilies. Look for small cigar-shaped insects in the blossoms or tap blossoms onto a sheet of white paper to spot the thrips. Thrips are very difficult to control and should be treated early before they develop large populations capable of causing a lot of damage. In severe cases, they may even prevent the development of some of the flower buds. A neem-based pesticide may help control them, or you may apply a systemic insecticide. Be sure to look for minute pirate bugs before you spray your plants. They are tiny insects just a bit larger than thrips with wings that are black at the front and transparent at the back. Minute pirate bugs are voracious thrips predators and are very effective at controlling a summer thrips outbreak. If they are present, don’t spray your daylilies. Let them take care of the problem for you.
