What's eating my dryopteris tokyoensis?

Dryopteris tokyoensis (Tokyo wood fern) is a deciduous Japanese garden fern. Like most outdoor ferns, slugs and snails are its chief enemies, feeding on delicate croziers and young fronds in spring. Vine weevil can be an issue in pots. Mature fronds are generally pest-resistant, making this an easy garden plant overall.

Holes and ragged edges on new growth; silvery slime trails present. Use ferric phosphate pellets or wool pellet mulch; hand-pick after dark; keep crowns free of wet leaf litter.

Adult notching on frond margins; larval root damage causes rapid decline in pot-grown specimens. Apply predatory nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) to moist soil; use systemic vine weevil drench for container plants.

Clusters on emerging fronds; honeydew residue attracts ants and sooty mold. Remove by hand or with a forceful water spray; use insecticidal soap or neem oil for persistent infestations.