What's eating my begonia grandis subsp. evansiana?

Begonia grandis subsp. evansiana is a hardy outdoor flowering begonia, so it faces garden pests including slugs and snails that shred its soft leaves overnight, aphids clustering on new shoots, and vine weevil larvae attacking roots. In the UK deer occasionally browse it. Slugs are by far the most destructive outdoor threat.

Ragged irregular holes in soft leaves overnight; slime trails visible on foliage and soil. Apply iron phosphate pellets (safe around pets and wildlife), use copper tape barriers, or hand-pick at dusk; remove mulch piles near plants.

Clusters of soft-bodied insects on new shoots and flower buds; leaves curl and growth is distorted. Blast off with a firm water jet; spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; encourage ladybirds and lacewings.

Notched leaf margins from adult feeding at night; larvae in soil eat roots, causing sudden collapse. Apply nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) to moist soil in late summer/autumn; check root balls at repotting and destroy C-shaped white grubs.

Stem tips and soft leaves browsed to stubs, especially in rural UK and US gardens. Use physical barriers or deer-repellent sprays (rotten egg / capsaicin formulas); plant in a fenced area where deer pressure is high.