What's eating my paeonia lactiflora 'bowl of beauty'?

Paeonia lactiflora 'Bowl of Beauty' faces the same classic peony threats: aphids on young shoots and buds, botrytis blight in wet seasons, and occasional thrips damaging the distinctive pink-and-cream flowers. Deer may nibble emerging shoots in spring. Prioritise good drainage and airflow to minimise fungal pressure.

Dense colonies on new shoots and flower stems; sticky honeydew leads to sooty mold and weakened growth. Knock off with water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil. Attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies.

Stem bases blacken and collapse; buds shrivel without opening; grey mold visible in cool, wet springs. Remove and dispose of infected material; avoid overhead watering; thin crowns for airflow; use copper fungicide preventively.

Rasping feeding causes silvery, streaked petals and distorted buds on the anemone-form flowers. Remove infested flowers; apply spinosad or insecticidal soap; blue sticky traps help monitor population levels.