Hello, reuscam. Here are a few comments about the photos... Photo #1: an unknown pest (an insect, worm, etc) has obviously chewed on the leaves. The chewed leaves also have some dark spots, signs of a fungal infection. It could be the result of an opportunistic fungal infection taking advantage of the chewed areas or it could be minor/common problems caused by such things as watering the leaves directly, too much rain, too much humidity, etc. The problem does not seem like a big deal at this point so I would monitor the leaves and take further action only if things get much worse. One of the leaves looks distorted, probably caused by aphids. Photo #2: I would add 3-4" of mulch to the camellias. Sprinkle some mulch up 12" away from the main trunk. On older plants I would have said up to the drip line or so but these are new kids on the block so I would start with 12". Of course, I live in Texas where the weather is hot and mulch applied away from the trunk is always welcomed by camellias in the Summer! Photo #3: more leaf damage....pests sometimes like to take a bite and then they leave the area. To determine if they are gone or if they are still in the area, use the oldest pictures taken as a reference point to determine if the damage is getting worse or not. If it is changing and keeps getting worse, you will need to identify the culprit. In many cases, these pests hide under rocks/mulch/etc and -since they are nocturnal- damage the leaves at night. This means you might need to check the plants at night (look under the leaves and around the main stems). Photo #4: signs of fungal infection again; I would remove the worst looking leaves and dispose in the trash, not the compost pile. There are some white(or gray?)-ish spots. Sometimes these are caused by powdery mildew, too much salt or too much fertilizer. If the white spots were smaller and randomly dispersed thru the leaf, I would even suspect tea scale. Photo #5: reminds of powdery mildew on some euonymus that I used to have. Weird if it is powdery mildew because PM is not common nowÂ.more common during the summer months (unless the leaf damage in the photos happened last year). Sanitation practices can be used with powdery mildew. You should next try horticultural oils next and your last line of attack should be fungicides. Choose fungicides containing one of these active ingredients: myclobutanil, triadimefon, propiconazole, thiophanate-methyl, triforine. To prevent the fungi from becoming resistant to the fungicides, apply fungicides with different active ingredients (use myclobutanil on week one, triadimefon on week two, etc). Scale can be controlled using organic methods such as removing infected leaves (photo #4) & releasing lady beetles or beneficial wasps (called Aspidiotiphagus or Aphytis Diaspidis); you can also prune to improve air circulation in the center of the plant. Horticultural soaps and oils (Bonide All Season Spray Oil, Green Light Horticultural Oil Spray, etc) should be used next (because they are less harmful to the scale predators) but remember to apply these to the top and bottom of the leaves. Use insecticides as your last line of defense. Be aware that for a definite answer, you can also take leaf samples to a nearby local nursery or to your Agric Extension Service for analysis. Send the samples in sealed transparent plastic bags. Luis

Brad, I got this reply: "William from ACS forwarded your email about your friend's camellia problem. I help William out with questions like this because I am a plant pathologist. When I first read the email I thought you might be referencing a friend in Callahan, Florida that has called me about a similar problem with his camellias. I spoke to Jerry Rice tonight and he has had the extension service out to his place twice investigating his problem which is very much like what you are describing about your friends camellias. At this point they have not identified the problem. Jerry would like to visit your friends camellia collection and see if the problems are related. You can call Jerry at 904-879-6906. He is an experienced camellia grower that may be able to help. Hope this will help your friend. Mark Crawford Valdosta, GA 229-460-5922"

It's not bird damage. I would say something fungal, based on the symmetrical roundness of some of the lesions, but you don't mention where you live, which makes a significant difference. We just don't get much fungal pest pressure here in S. California due to our rather dry climate, so I can't help with a diagnosis. I would suggest you send your photos to your local ag agent, and they should be able to get you a diagnosis and treatment plan right away. For now, I would would try to treat with an appropriate anti-fungal, as you attempt to ID/diagnose the issue. Patty S. Here is a link that might be useful: Unversity of Florida: Citrus Fungal Diseases

Looks like scale, all of it. Neem oil applied repeatedly will smother the scale. This little tree is very heavily invested, so this will take multiple applications. You don't mention if the tree is indoors or outdoors or where you live, so Coleen's advice is good - do not apply any hort oil if temps are above 85 degrees F. Patty S.