Peacock plant pests, webbing or sticky leaves: causes and what to do
6 results in the diagnosis tree begin with pests, 5 of them marked likely when the answers fit. They are ordered here for Peacock plant (Goeppertia makoyana), using what its sources say about pests and diseases, humidity and watering and 2 problems recorded for it.
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Goeppertia makoyana, also known as peacock plant or cathedral windows, is a species of plant belonging to the genus Goeppertia in the family Marantaceae, native to Espírito Santo state of eastern Brazil. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Native range: Brazil (Espírito Santo) (wet tropical). Also sold as brain plant, cathedral windows and Peacock Calathea.
What Peacock plant’s sources say that bears on this
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by greenhouse red spider mite and aphids. Diseases: usually none.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
- ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60%Penn State Extension · read 11 September 2026
- Watering
- Water with distilled water or rainwater, because fluoride in tap water can turn leaves brown. In winter, water less and stop feeding.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
How this shows up on a Peacock plant
Curled, sticky new leaves with green or black insects: aphids
Green, black or pale insects crowd the soft tips and buds of the peacock plant. New leaves curl, and white cast skins collect below.
RHS lists aphids among the pests it may attract. They favor tender tips and buds, so the damage concentrates where the plant is growing.
Telling it apart: Whether you can see them. Aphids are visible to the eye; the mites that distort new growth are not.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Fine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
The leaves of the peacock plant lose their shine and fill with tiny pale dots. In a heavy infestation fine webbing strings across the shoot tips.
RHS lists spider mites among the pests it may attract. They feed from the underside, so the damage shows on top long before the mites are noticed.
Telling it apart: Webbing. Only mites spin fine silk at the shoot tips.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Possible causes, likeliest first for a Peacock plant
Most likely spider mites
Ranked higher because Peacock plant's recorded problems point this way.
- Fine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites RHS
Why: Spider mites feed on individual leaf cells, and each emptied cell shows as a pale speck.
What to try:
- Move the peacock plant away from other plants.
- Wash the leaves, top and underside, with a strong spray of water in a shower or sink.
What would settle it: Hold a sheet of white paper under a leaf and tap the leaf. Tiny specks that move across the paper are mites.
Most likely aphids
Ranked higher because Peacock plant's recorded problems point this way.
- Curled, sticky new leaves with green or black insects: aphids RHS
Why: Aphids cluster on soft new growth and flower buds, where the sap is easiest to reach.
What to try:
- Rub them off with fingers, or rinse them off in a sink or shower.
- Repeat every few days while new ones appear.
What would settle it: Look for the pale shed skins among the insects. Aphids molt as they grow, and the skins are left behind in the colony.
Most likely mealybugs
Why: Mealybugs are soft insects that cover themselves in white wax, which gives the cottony look.
What to try:
- Move the peacock plant away from other plants.
- Wipe off every insect you can see with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, testing a single leaf first.
What would settle it: Touch a tuft with a cotton swab. If a small, pale, oval insect is underneath, it is a mealybug.
Less likely for a Peacock plant, still possible
Questions
- What usually causes pests on a Peacock plant?
- For Peacock plant: spider mites, aphids and mealybugs.
- How can I tell which one it is on my Peacock plant?
- What can you see? Fine webbing, and tiny pale speckles on the leaves; White, cottony tufts in the leaf joints; Small brown or pale bumps on stems and leaves that do not move; Clusters of small, soft insects on the new growth; Tiny dark flies around the soil; Sticky, shiny residue, but no insect I can see.
- What do Peacock plant's sources say about its pests and diseases?
- RHS: Can be troubled by greenhouse red spider mite and aphids. Diseases: usually none.
- What does this look like on a Peacock plant?
- Green, black or pale insects crowd the soft tips and buds of the peacock plant. New leaves curl, and white cast skins collect below. Telling it apart: Whether you can see them. Aphids are visible to the eye; the mites that distort new growth are not.
Other plants that show pests
Prayer plantFine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
AlocasiaFine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
Aloe veraSticky leaves and immobile shell-like insects on the stems
Areca palmDull, finely mottled fronds and faint webs: spider mites
Arrowhead plantCurled, sticky new leaf blades with green or black insects: aphids
Asparagus fernCurled, sticky new fronds with green or black insects: aphids
Something else wrong with the Peacock plant?
What this does not cover
This page orders a decision tree's results using a plant's sourced care. It has not seen your plant, its pot or its window, and two problems at once are common: that is the usual reason a confident answer turns out wrong. The questions in the diagnosis tool narrow it further than a list can.