Answer: An insect known as the spittlebug causes the white frothy foam substance on stems of several types of plants.
Recently, many people with muscadine grapevines have been noticing white foam on the vines and grapes that looks like someone has been spitting on them. Seeing this white frothy mass of foam causes alarm and concern for many people because it appears so unusual.
Many gardeners often mistake this white foam as a disease or are concerned that it is oozing from the plant itself. In this situation the culprit is an insect known as the spittlebug. The spittlebug is often found on many different plants including grapevines, pecan trees, shrubs, turf grass, and weeds. Unfortunately, it is not a means of weed control. This white “spit” is not the insect itself, but is produced by the spittlebug. If you removed some of the foam, you would see some small insects attached to the plant. The spittlebug creates this foam like substance by secreting a fluid that when combined with air begins to bubble, which gives it a spit or foam appearance. The spittlebug produces the substance to protect itself from other insects. It also helps to keep them warm while developing into an adult spittlebug.
On a positive note, although seeing this mass of white foam causes concern for your plants health, the spittlebug is not known for causing any injury, therefore, eliminating the necessity to apply pesticides.
If you find the appearance of the foam to be unsightly, just hose down the plant to wash it away or wait for the next good rain shower to take care of it. Whether you call the unsightly appearance on your plants foam or spit, rest assure that the spittlebug will not harm the plants and no treatment is necessary or recommended.
Reminder: The Sampson County Master Gardener Phone Hotline and Plant Clinic takes calls every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Hotline will observe these operational hours through the end of August.
Please call the Sampson County Cooperative Extension Center at (910) 592-7161 with your horticultural questions. Be sure to check out the Ask An Expert Widget at sampson.ces.ncsu.edu for any questions you may have.
For more information, please contact Della King, Sampson County Horticulture Extension Agent at 910-592-7161
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