Purple passion 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 Purple passion (Gynura aurantiaca), using what its sources say about pests and diseases, humidity and watering and 2 problems recorded for it.
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Gynura aurantiaca, called purple passion or velvet plant, is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It is native to Southeast Asia but grown in many other places as a house plant. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Native range: Sumatera to Jawa, Sulawesi (wet tropical). Also sold as Purple Passion Vine, Purple Velvet Plant, royal velvet plant, velvet plant and velvetplant.
What Purple passion’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 13 September 2026
- Watering
- Keep the soil moist but water less often in winter, since too much water can cause rot.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
How this shows up on a Purple passion
Curled, sticky new leaf blades with green or black insects: aphids
Green, black or pale insects crowd the soft tips and buds of the purple passion. New leaf blades 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 2026Dull, finely mottled leaf blades and faint webs: spider mites
Seen side-on, the purple passion looks dusty and bleached. Under a lens the undersides move with minute mites, and silk gathers where leaf blades meet the stem.
RHS lists spider mites among the pests it may attract. Mites empty the leaf cells one by one, which is what the pale dots are, and they breed fastest in warm, dry air.
Telling it apart: Where the damage starts. Mites stipple the whole leaf in fine dots; sun scorch bleaches the side facing the window.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Possible causes, likeliest first for a Purple passion
Most likely spider mites
Ranked higher because Purple passion's recorded problems point this way.
- Dull, finely mottled leaf blades and faint webs: 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 purple passion 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 Purple passion's recorded problems point this way.
- Curled, sticky new leaf blades 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 purple passion 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 Purple passion, still possible
Questions
- What usually causes pests on a Purple passion?
- For Purple passion: spider mites, aphids and mealybugs.
- How can I tell which one it is on my Purple passion?
- 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 Purple passion'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 Purple passion?
- Green, black or pale insects crowd the soft tips and buds of the purple passion. New leaf blades 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
String of pearlsDull, finely mottled leaves and faint webs: 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 Purple passion?
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.