Why are my rhododendron's new leaves curled and puckered?

Rhododendron gall midge maggots feeding in the new growth are a common cause.

Rhododendron Gall Midge: Curled, Puckered New Leaves on Rhododendrons

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Adults are very small, light brown, mosquito-like flies; maggots are flattened, whitish and tiny.^[1]
Damaged young leaves turn yellow, in-roll, twist and pucker as they leave the bud scales.^[1][2]

A native pest reported from North Carolina to Connecticut.^[1][2]

It overwinters as a non-feeding prepupa in a flimsy silk cocoon in soil; adults emerge in spring to lay eggs on new growth.^[1]

In Connecticut most populations complete three generations a year, sometimes four or five, from May to October.^[2]

Hosts include Rhododendron catawbiense, R. maximum, R. ponticum and their hybrids.^[1][2]
Infested buds produce puckered, discolored leaves that may drop early, and buds attacked severely may die.^[1][2]

None to people or pets.^[1][2]

Remove and destroy newly infested foliage; this may eliminate the problem within a year or two.^[1]

Any treatment is timed to bud break and may need repeating with later flushes of growth.^[1][2]

Why are my rhododendron's new leaves curled and puckered?: Rhododendron gall midge maggots feeding in the new growth are a common cause.^[1][2]

NC State Extension, “Rhododendron Gall Midge (PDIC Factsheet).” content.ces.ncsu.edu/rhododendron-gall-midge-1 (accessed 2026-10-16)
UConn Integrated Pest Management Program, “Rhododendron Gall Midge.” ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/rhododendron-gall-midge/ (accessed 2026-10-16)
iNaturalist, “Clinodiplosis rhododendri taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1268779 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-16. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.