Viburnum leaf beetle spreads to Lapland, stripping snowball bushes bare

The viburnum leaf beetle, a pest that devours the leaves of snowball bushes, has spread to Lapland this summer, leaving plants completely defoliated in parts of northern Finland, according to a report by Yle.

Previously concentrated in southern and eastern Finland, the beetle has thrived this year due to an early spring and warm conditions, said Saara Hyttinen, chair of the Finnish Garden Association. The larvae, yellow-green or brown with dark bumps, feed on leaves until they curl and drop, while adult beetles are yellow-brown and only 5–6 mm long.

Though snowball bushes can recover from a single season of damage, repeated infestations may weaken or kill the plant. Hyttinen advises early intervention, such as spring spraying or blasting larvae off branches with a high-pressure water jet. Removing infested branches can also help, as eggs may be hidden inside cut stems.

In Rovaniemi, no cases have been reported in public parks, where snowball bushes are rarely planted, according to city gardener Salla Korhonen. She noted that while the beetle may spread further north this summer, it is unlikely to survive Lapland’s harsh winters.