10/06/2026
A little seasonal PSA from the garden: asp season is here.
If you’re spending time outdoors in Houston and the Gulf Coast this time of year, keep an eye out for these fuzzy caterpillars. They’re easy to overlook because they look soft and harmless, but those hairs can deliver a painful sting if you brush against them or pick one up.
We found these this morning tucked into a client’s live oak trees, but asps aren’t limited to oaks. They can also be found on elm, maple, willow, roses, and other common landscape plants.
Late summer through fall is when we tend to see them become more noticeable, so this is a good time to take a closer look when working around trees, shrubs, and garden beds.
Our advice: admire them from a distance, don’t handle them, and teach kids to do the same. If you find a concentration of them around your garden, let your landscape or garden professional know so they can identify what you’re seeing and determine the appropriate next step.
They may look cute and fuzzy, but this is one garden visitor that’s best appreciated from a distance.