What's eating my anemone × hybrida 'königin charlotte'?

Anemone × hybrida 'Königin Charlotte' faces the same threats as other Japanese anemones. Vine weevil grubs are the most serious pest, silently destroying roots. Slugs and snails damage the soft, palmate foliage. Caterpillars occasionally feed on leaves. Deer browse the pink flowers and stems in late summer. Nematode treatment in autumn is the key protective action.

Adults notch leaf margins at night; grubs eat fibrous roots underground, causing whole stems to wilt and die without warning. Apply Steinernema kraussei nematodes to damp soil in late August to October; inspect root zone when dividing in spring.

Holes chewed in the soft, hairy leaves and new growth from early spring onwards, leaving silvery slime trails. Iron phosphate pellets or nematode drench (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) around plants; hand-pick at dusk; avoid heavy mulching near crowns.

Ragged leaf damage from moth larvae in summer, occasionally severe enough to reduce the plant's energy reserves before winter. Inspect leaf undersides for egg batches and hand-pick; use Bt spray if caterpillars are numerous.

Stems and pink semi-double flowers nibbled or stripped in late summer and autumn when deer graze garden borders. Deer-proof fencing or repellent sprays around borders; plant among thorny or strongly-scented companions as partial deterrent.