Have you placed a bouquet of roses on the windowsill next to your zamioculcas or ficus? Now your indoor plants are in danger, warns an expert from the Zen channel “Exotica – an encyclopedia of house plants.” Sometimes even phytosanitary monitoring does not mitigate the risks of purchased flowers from other countries. But there are simple steps that can protect potted plants from pests.
About the danger of the “queen of flowers”
It is the rose that holds the record for the number of insect pests that it carries on itself. Most often, whiteflies, spider mites, thrips and aphids settle on these flowers.
Although roses are treated with insecticides during cultivation, the risk of bringing unexpected guests into the house is non-zero.
Why are there so many pests on mimosas?
Most often, mimosas bring thrips to Russia. Usually wild mimosa is imported into the country, which is not treated with anything. This flower has a special structure, which makes it impossible to wash it properly. Just look at the ban on importing hundreds of kilos of mimosa in 2025!
Be especially careful if you buy bouquets near the metro or at a grandmother's market. It is unlikely that such flowers were properly treated against pests.
How to protect indoor plants
First of all, avoid contact between the indoor plant and the purchased one. Under no circumstances should you place vases with bouquets on the same window sills where pots already stand.
Also, do not process purchased flowers with homemade pruners and scissors. These tools carry not only ticks, but also bacterial and fungal infections. You can use a kitchen knife to make the cut – you will still wash it well, which cannot be said about pruners and garden shears.
