What's eating my scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue'?

Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue' faces its biggest threat from aphids on flower stems and buds, which weaken plants and attract sooty mould. Slugs damage young growth in early spring. In warm dry spells powdery mildew can coat foliage. Overall it is a robust, low-maintenance perennial with few serious pests.

Soft green or black insects clustered on flower stalks and buds; honeydew, distortion, and sooty mould. Knock off with water; introduce or encourage beneficial insects. Apply insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil spray if populations build.

Holes and ragged edges on low basal leaves in spring and after rain; silvery slime trails. Use ferric phosphate pellets or wool pellet barriers around crowns; hand-pick at dusk; keep mulch away from crown.

Pale winding tunnels inside leaves caused by mining fly larvae; cosmetic but weakens heavily attacked plants. Remove and destroy affected leaves promptly; no chemical treatment is usually needed for light attacks.