What's eating my christmas rose?

Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger) is mainly troubled by vine weevil grubs attacking roots, aphids on tender winter and spring growth, and slugs damaging early flowers and foliage. Leaf miner flies create winding pale tunnels in leaves. Its winter flowering period makes slug and snail damage especially visible and costly.

Root and crown destruction by white grubs; adults leave U-shaped notches on leaf margins Nematode drench (Steinernema kraussei) in early autumn and spring; grit in containers to deter egg-laying

Holes in flowers and foliage during the winter flowering season; slime trails on and around blooms Clear away debris where slugs shelter; iron phosphate pellets; handpick by torchlight

Colonies on flower stems and leaves in late winter and spring; honeydew and sooty mould Wipe off by hand; insecticidal soap spray; predators such as ladybirds become active as temperatures rise

Winding pale serpentine mines visible inside leaves; unsightly but rarely fatal Remove and bin (do not compost) affected leaves; no chemical control is reliably effective