How to Identify Aphids on Hibiscus

Hibiscus, various species within the genus of the same name, are evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees prized for their large, colorful flowers that may appear year-round, depending on the specimen. Some hibiscus plants are cultivated as annuals while others are perennials in warmer areas. For example, the tropical or Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) can grow outdoors across U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. Hibiscus plants are usually fairly easy to grow but are occasionally bothered by pests like aphids. Positively identifying these problematic insects on a hibiscus will help you to effectively address them.


Monitor the hibiscus for aphid damage, inspecting the plant twice weekly during periods of rapid plant growth. The aphids tend to cluster on new shoots or leaves, particularly leaf undersides. A small amount of feeding is not noticeably damaging, but heavy feeding appears as leaf yellowing, curling or distortion and new growth is stunted.


Check the hibiscus plan, the ground under it and objects around the plant for honeydew, ants and sooty mold fungus. Honeydew is a sticky, shiny-looking substance that aphids produce as a byproduct of feeding. The sooty mold fungus grows on honeydew and ants feed on it. The presence of honeydew can help to determine if aphids are present, but a handful of other potential pests of hibiscus, including multiple species of soft scale and mealybug, also secrete honeydew.


Tap the plant in the area of the insect infestation. Unlike many other insects, aphids generally do not move rapidly when disturbed and are frequently wingless unless pest numbers are very high.


Look at the aphids through a magnifying hand lens, checking for the indicative presence of cornicles, tube-like structures projecting backwards out of the insect's abdomen. The melon, or cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii), a pest of hibiscus and other plants in California and beyond, is very small and yellowish or green with black cornicles.