What's eating my helleborus foetidus?

Stinking hellebore is highly toxic and therefore largely ignored by deer and rabbits. Aphids — especially the hellebore aphid — are the main pest, clustering on stems and flower buds in late winter and spring. Vine weevil can damage roots in containers. The plant's own toxins are its best defence; serious infestations are uncommon in open ground.

Pale green-yellow colonies on stems and undersides of leaves; honeydew and sooty mould in winter and spring. Remove badly infested stems; spray with insecticidal soap or pyrethrum; tolerate light infestations as natural predators follow.

Notched leaf margins; C-shaped larvae destroy root systems of pot-grown plants. Use Steinernema nematode drench in late summer for container specimens; repot and inspect roots annually.

Holes in soft emerging leaves and stems at the base in autumn and spring. Iron phosphate pellets around crowns; hand-pick at night; maintain good drainage to reduce slug-friendly conditions.