they use every means possible, including scent, and color, and also time of the year - most insects have a life [breeding] cycle that matches their preffered hosts occurance - ie: if you plant broccoli things later than usual you'll miss the first flush of cole family pests, and hopefully the plants will be big enuff to withstand later hatchings - some also tend to work at a certain level, and sometimes you can protect the plant simply by putting collars around the stem to keep the things like cutworms away, and a 2' "fence" of clear plastic along your carrot rows will keep out certain carrot root flies garlic, onion, cayenne and other strong scented things are good general protection, and growing those things, as well as things like marigolds, around your crops will help as well as the spraying - lotsa 'companion plant' possibilities, and using the traits of the bugs against them is part of what IPM is about, as well as organic growing Bill

Well described Sara!The cultivar could in my estimation be several possibilities.Why did you pick this one?Not a test ......just learning.If any of you have not explored this nice persons blog ,"Form and Foliage"you're missing some special treats .......a reformed "Perenialista"Sara leads the coniphile charge in Northern California and beyond.Doug

This is in a town in the South American Andes. I thought it might be Pinus radiata or maybe Pinus wallichiana. If it is radiata then pretty much all the trees around are also infected, because they all look pretty much alike. Does anyone know of any large tree (conifer or otherwise) that grows well at high altitude (3500+m)in a dry climate (rain in the summer), and on somewhat clay soils? Tough question, I know. ;) I've been researching this for months... The only thing that seems to thrive is Eucalyptus globulus, but I'm looking for something that will let other plants and grass grow under it. So this pine (if we can determine what it is)seemed like a good choice, but if it is susceptible to this infection then maybe not so much. Any ideas? FxBeast

Sophannah, in the US Rose of Sharon means Hybiscus Syriacus. In the UK iT means Hypericum calycinum. A good example of why the botanical names are so important. I've never heard H syriacus called by anything other than its botanical name here. Never heard it called Rose Mallow. If anything, that name might possibly be applied to Lavatera trimestris. Btw the colour of the Hibiscus has been doctored. They're not really that blue. Glads do best if you lift the corms and dry them off to replant. They do tend to rot in out climate.