What's eating my sedum telephium 'purple emperor'?

Sedum telephium 'Purple Emperor' is naturally robust and rarely troubled by pests. Aphids are the most frequent visitor on new growth. Vine weevil can be damaging in pots, and slugs may eat emerging shoots in spring. Its dark, leathery foliage is generally unappealing to deer and rabbits.

Green or black aphid colonies on new stem tips and flower buds from spring onwards, secreting honeydew and causing slight distortion of growing points. Remove by hand or with a water jet. Attract hoverflies and ladybirds with companion planting. Insecticidal soap or pyrethrin spray as a last resort.

Larvae consume roots and the base of the crown causing wilting; adults leave notched leaf margins. Container-grown specimens are most vulnerable. Drench soil with pathogenic nematodes in late summer/early autumn. Inspect root ball during division; remove and destroy any white C-shaped larvae.

Grazing on soft spring shoots at soil level produces holes and slime trails; damage is cosmetic and plants grow away from it once stems firm up. Apply ferric phosphate pellets around crowns when growth resumes in spring. Copper tape on container rims provides effective physical barrier.