Are you sure that it isn't simply the white pollen falling from the flowers? Can't really tell anything from the images, but from what I can deduce from your description, that's what I would guess. The location of this dreaded white funk doesn't seem right for mealybugs.

What a neat place V! Is it near you? Dutchman's Breeches has always been a fave of mine too PM! I just love that delicate little thing...so charming. After seeing V's pics I've decided to move some of mine up near the house so I can enjoy them more. Sometimes I'm too late to really enjoy them here if I'm not working out in the yard early in the spring. That carpet of wildflowers is just so lovely...don't you wish we could see something like in every woods? So...what *is* the pot plant, V? I saw something similar to those growing in the forest preserve here, where we walk Scout. I could never be in a funk walking through those woods (sorry...sad joke)! :-) But I *do* love that name! Thanks for sharing! Ei

I love those pics! More ! More! I studied them closely to see how many of the wild plants I could id, and see several that I have in my 'wild flower bed' and more that inhabit our woods. I espacially love the Dutchman's breeches. I have a plant that struggles each year, but very seldom even gets to the blooming stage. It won't again this year, because I clumsly trod on it while covering the neighboring hosta from the freeze awhile back. :-( I see either Erodium or Geraniums. And Dentaria, Toothwort(in bloom to the upper left of the picturesque tree remains), and a ginger to the lower right of same remains. I have U. grandiflora, and it is spreading nicely in the wild flowerbed, and elsewhere. I have no Mertensia, nor have I seen it in the wild here. Would love to have some. We have the Spring Beauties, but rather sparsely. More this year due to the loss of so many trees and limbs. Our two patches of 'yard' May Apples are really spreading, and I love it! I am thinking the 'twisted' tree had a very large grape vine strangling it. They do that here. Nolon has done considerable complaining about the grape vines in the trees he is cutting. I don't have red trilliums, but have Toadshade Trilliums. They will soon open their flowers. Do post more of your pics. Marian

I've been trying to determine what was wrong with this Crassula tetragona since May. Had suggestions for drainage, potting mix, sunburn, etc., but just one person suspected pests. Pallas Athena, you have spider mites too. Did yours recover? Remember how this looks and progresses so you can protect your own plants. Mites aren't visible. I couldn't see them even with a magnifying glass. I needed the macro lens of my "real" camera, then I had to enlarge the image. It begins as yellowing of leaves for no apparent reason. Old leaves are mostly affected, but newer leaves sometimes also. Leaves drop. Some shrivel. People mistake it for over-watering, poor drainage, sunburn, etc. As it progresses, leaves look textured with tiny indentations about pin pricked size. Leaf surfaces get what looks lime a brown or black coating, stain, or discoloring. Plants continue to grow and produce more leaves and branches, but eventually only those newest leaves remain healthy. That's where my plants are now. I can save them, but it'll be a huge setback. Worse, they've been in contact with all my other plants, shared a wager bucket, etc., so I'll be treating a lot of plants. Hopefully, this mite doesn't thrive so well on other plants. Update: I washed it in alcohol and dish soap, and wiped all the areas I could reach with a Q-tip. Many more leaves came off as I did it. I don't know if thatll be enough, but I can't find any evidence of other plants also being affected, so I hope it was just this one plant the little b******s liked. I don't want to resort to nasty chemicals. This post was edited by kwie2011 on Mon, Oct 27, 14 at 16:59