What's eating my goldmoss stonecrop?

Goldmoss Stonecrop (Sedum acre) is a hardy flowering ground-cover plant most threatened outdoors by vine weevil larvae destroying the root mat and aphids clustering on new shoots. Slugs and snails graze the fleshy leaves, especially in damp conditions. Deer and rabbits generally avoid it — the alkaloids make it unpalatable to most animals.

Patches of the mat collapse and can be lifted away; grubs sever roots just below soil level; damage worst in autumn Apply pathogenic nematodes (Steinernema kraussei or Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) to moist soil in late summer; loosen mat and remove grubs by hand

Dense colonies of greenfly on young shoots in spring and early summer; distorted new growth; sticky honeydew Knock off with a water jet; apply insecticidal soap spray; encourage predators — the open flower structure attracts hoverflies that prey on aphids

Irregular holes and ragged edges on succulent leaves; slime trails through the mat; damage worst after rain Apply wool pellets or copper tape around the patch; use ferric phosphate slug pellets (wildlife-safe); hand-pick at night in wet weather

Sections of the mat stripped bare; frass visible among stems; caterpillars found curled at the base of stems Hand-pick caterpillars; apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray to affected areas; check under the mat for pupae when renovating