Recently I received a bonsai as a gift. It is a fukienter (sp?), a sub-tropical indoor tree, 9 years old, 3 years in training. I have been noticing white coccon-like pods developing in the branches of the trees and I suspect it is a disease of some sort. Have you ever seen anything like this, and how can I get rid of it for good without killing the tree?

Todd Walther.

The plant you are talking about is probably the 'Fukien Tea' (Ehretia buxifolia). From the limited amount of information you have given me, I can say that the disease affecting your tree is most probably scale. These are quite a common problem, appearing as tiny shell (cocoon) like creatures which stay in the same spot on the trunk and branches of trees - sometimes forming a fluffy white under-covering. Apart from looking bad, scale is detrimental to the overall health of the tree, where they suck nourishment from the cambium layer of the bark and increase profusely. Scale should be treated in its early stages by spraying with a tar-oil spray in winter or by manually wiping them off with a rag or brush soaked in methylated spirits.

Good Luck,

Dan