Extension > Garden > Diagnose a problem > What's wrong with my plant? > Fruit > Strawberry > White coating/substance on leaves
Strawberries > Leaves >White coating/substance on leaves
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Spittlebug
Philaenus spumarius
- Spittle mass is a clear, frothy, bubbly foam mass, that is about 1/3 - 3/4 inches in diameter
- Numerous spittle masses can be on a single plant
- Present in late spring, early summer; more prevalent in weedy areas
- Nymphs are yellow-green in color, and develop in a frothy spittle mass on strawberry leaves
- More information on Spittlebug
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Powdery Mildew
Podosphaera aphanis
- Infected leaflets curl up, exposing undersides that often are reddened and coated with a grayish white powdery mildew fungus
- Leaves will eventually turn purple or red
- Common in mid to late summer
- More information on Powdery Mildew
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Slime Mold
Many different myxomycetes
- Crusty white to tan blob on leaves or garden mulch
- Raised gray or black bead like structures along the plant surface
- Lives only on the surface of plants (does not grow inside plant tissue)
- More prevalent during warm, wet weather
- More information on slime mold
