first .... i have never heard of this.. and am baffled.. not only that you have it on one plant.. but your only other dream plant is susceptible ... what are the odds of that..???? that said.. and based on the above mentioned knowledge base.. i would simply ask.. why in the world.. would you invest in a tree that has a 20 to 30 year life span.. and sit around wondering if and when it will get the problem.. there are so many alternatives that would be more' plant and forget about this specific problem'.. that i dont understand why you would risk it?? ken

Hi Ken, I do know Bob as I used to be in the local Hosta Society here and so was he. Great idea to reach out to him. He is located about an hour from me. I think the report I got back was referring to 2 different planthopper nymphs, actually. The flatids are the ones I had, and they create the waxy substance that was on my scapes. The acanaloniid does not create the wax. Maybe I am confused? What I got after rereading their notes was references to multiple insects. I added a picture of the waxy substance for reference. "The samples contained several insects/arthropods. The most numerous (several specimens) were flatid planthopper nymphs (Flatidae). These create the large amounts of wax seen on the plant stems. The acanaloniid planthopper nymph is free-living and does not create the wax on the plant. There was also an unidentified pupal skin of a small moth (looks as though it did some feeding damage before pupating) and some silk with spider parts inside." I'm sure nobody is suggesting that I can completely eradicate the bad nematodes in my soil, but maybe the specific type that was a carrier for this unidentified virus will be reduced in that area enough so I can replant there in a couple of years. This hosta bed is an established bed, and Elvis Lives has been in that spot for at least 7 years, and possibly 8 years. The other hostas close by also have been there for a long time. I hope to reduce the chances of that virus spreading to my other plants.

devils advocate here .... is treatment really needed on an ORNAMENTAL TREE???? a lot of the various prunus family get ugly by fall .. so what.. the leaves fall off.. and we start over in spring ... you might also want to look into resistant varieties .... if any ... as replacing yours with such might end up cheaper... versus decades of spraying ... and finally .... perhaps your area simply isnt conducive to cherry blossom trees [you are on the high end of its range] ... and you should divest and try something else that accomplishes your goal .. just because you want something ... doesnt mean it will work ... short of owning an orchard and doing cherry for money .. i cant think of any plant... that i would spray multiple times per year ... just things to think about .. good luck ken ps: there is a very active fruit forum ... who knows ... you might find help there ... as i said.. prunus is prunus ....

An argument can be made that any ornamental prunus is worth consideration but even Dirr acknowledges that "Prunus as a group is beset with insect and disease problems and perhaps should not be looked upon as long term garden investments" and he goes on to say that some species can be expected to live for "30-50 years" - not a very long time in tree terms - while others "may decline in 3 to 10 years." He continues by stating that Prunus sargentii "is one of the most beautiful cherries in flower but does not appear to relish zone 7 and 8 heat" and is "not reliable in Minnesota".