Pest identification
What's eating my dryopteris championii?
Slugs and snails
Signs: Chewed and ragged young fronds; mucus trails across the crown and nearby soil.
Control: Apply ferric phosphate pellets around the crown; set beer traps; hand-collect at night. Avoid excess moisture and mulch near the crown.
Vine weevil
Signs: Notched frond edges (adult feeding); white C-shaped larvae eat roots, causing plant collapse.
Control: Drench soil with Steinernema nematodes in warm moist conditions (above 5 °C); use vine weevil granules for container-grown plants.
Aphids
Signs: Small soft insects on new frond stems; sticky honeydew may promote sooty mold.
Control: Knock off with a water spray; apply insecticidal soap; natural predators such as ladybugs usually control light infestations.
Keep dryopteris championii pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Dryopteris championii pests — FAQ
What is eating my dryopteris championii?
Dryopteris championii (Champion's wood fern) is a semi-evergreen Asian garden fern. Slugs and snails are its primary pest, attacking the soft emerging croziers in spring. Vine weevil can be problematic in containers. This fern is generally robust and rarely severely damaged by insects once fronds mature and harden.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on dryopteris championii?
Chewed and ragged young fronds; mucus trails across the crown and nearby soil. Apply ferric phosphate pellets around the crown; set beer traps; hand-collect at night. Avoid excess moisture and mulch near the crown.
How do I get rid of vine weevil on dryopteris championii?
Notched frond edges (adult feeding); white C-shaped larvae eat roots, causing plant collapse. Drench soil with Steinernema nematodes in warm moist conditions (above 5 °C); use vine weevil granules for container-grown plants.
How do I get rid of aphids on dryopteris championii?
Small soft insects on new frond stems; sticky honeydew may promote sooty mold. Knock off with a water spray; apply insecticidal soap; natural predators such as ladybugs usually control light infestations.