Ask the Plant Expert:

I am finding odd brown colored fluid dripping on the sides of my outdoor potted plant. What is causing it, and how can I get rid of it? I can’t see anywhere on the leaves where it could be coming from. Thank you. – Lisa

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

It looks like you might have damage from borers. Did you happen to see any ants climbing up the trees? Ants aren’t a problem, but they often indicate that borers are in your tree. Borers are a problem. Borers are a larvea, usually placed by a type of beetle into the trunk of trees and plants. The borers cause damage from the inside out, often creating a hole in which the sap of the tree is released. What kind of plant/tree is it?

Your local garden center nursery will have the right chemical to kill the borers.