Pest identification
What's eating my eryngium giganteum 'silver ghost'?
Aphids
Signs: Colonies on tall flower stems and beneath bracts, producing honeydew and reducing flowering vigour.
Control: Blast off with water or apply insecticidal soap spray. Encourage beneficial insects by leaving some wildflower patches nearby.
Slugs and snails
Signs: Holes and slime trails on young first-year rosettes and overwintering leaf rosettes — critical to protect at this stage.
Control: Iron phosphate pellets around young rosettes in autumn and spring; grit mulch improves drainage and deters slugs.
Earwigs
Signs: Ragged chewing on the ornamental silver bracts at flowering time, reducing the plant's display value.
Control: Overnight rolled-newspaper traps near plant bases; shake out each morning. Tolerable damage levels are usually low.
Keep eryngium giganteum 'silver ghost' pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
- What eats miss wilmott's ghost — the species this cultivar belongs to
- What's wrong with my plant? — the diagnosis apps compared
- Common eryngium giganteum 'silver ghost' problems & fixes
- Eryngium giganteum 'Silver Ghost' watering schedule
- Eryngium giganteum 'Silver Ghost' light requirements
- Full eryngium giganteum 'silver ghost' care guide
Eryngium giganteum 'Silver Ghost' pests — FAQ
What is eating my eryngium giganteum 'silver ghost'?
Eryngium giganteum 'Silver Ghost' is a biennial sea holly with large, silvery bracts that are highly resistant to pest attack. Its spiny structure deters deer and rabbits. Aphids occasionally colonise the tall flower stems. Slugs target seedlings and overwintering rosettes. Otherwise nearly trouble-free in a well-drained, open site.
How do I get rid of aphids on eryngium giganteum 'silver ghost'?
Colonies on tall flower stems and beneath bracts, producing honeydew and reducing flowering vigour. Blast off with water or apply insecticidal soap spray. Encourage beneficial insects by leaving some wildflower patches nearby.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on eryngium giganteum 'silver ghost'?
Holes and slime trails on young first-year rosettes and overwintering leaf rosettes — critical to protect at this stage. Iron phosphate pellets around young rosettes in autumn and spring; grit mulch improves drainage and deters slugs.
How do I get rid of earwigs on eryngium giganteum 'silver ghost'?
Ragged chewing on the ornamental silver bracts at flowering time, reducing the plant's display value. Overnight rolled-newspaper traps near plant bases; shake out each morning. Tolerable damage levels are usually low.