What's eating my showy stonecrop?

Showy Stonecrop (Hylotelephium spectabile) is a garden perennial beloved by pollinators. Aphids cluster on new growth in spring, and vine weevil grubs silently eat roots. Slugs and snails target fresh shoots emerging in early spring. Caterpillars occasionally skeletonise leaves. Its late-season bloom makes it more of a pest target than alpine stonecrops.

Colonies on soft new shoot tips; sticky honeydew; distorted or curled growth Blast with a jet of water; encourage ladybirds and lacewings; use insecticidal soap spray for heavier infestations

Plant wilts suddenly in summer or autumn; crown collapses; C-shaped grubs found in the root zone Apply nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) in late summer when soil is above 5 °C; inspect and remove grubs manually

Emerging spring shoots eaten; irregular holes or stems cut off at ground level overnight Use copper tape barriers; place wildlife-safe slug pellets (ferric phosphate); hand-pick at night

Leaf edges and surfaces chewed; sometimes leaves stripped to midrib Hand-pick and dispose; spray with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for moderate infestations