Hi all,

This is my first post on this forum so please bear with me.

We planted confederate jasmine in April and it is doing very well - long shoots have grown about 10 feet high, dark green leaves. There are some mealy bugs on the plants that I am working on getting rid of.

My question is, we've also noticed this hard brown growth on the stems of our jasmine and I'm trying to figure out what it is and how to get rid of it. It has the appearance of moss that is stringy yet clumped together, but it is very hard, not soft like moss. It grows in 2-3 inch sections down the stems.

Does anyone know what this is and how to get rid of it? It is connected to the mealy bug somehow?

Advice appreciated, thanks!