What's eating my silvery lupine?

Silvery Lupine, a Rocky Mountain native perennial, is primarily targeted by lupine aphids and caterpillars. Its silvery, silky foliage offers some deterrence to generalist browsers, but deer and rabbits will still browse it under pressure. Root weevils can damage roots in some regions, weakening established clumps.

Dense infestations on new growth; wilting and yellowing tips; honeydew deposits attract sooty mould. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; encourage natural predators; remove badly infested stems.

Leaves eaten to midrib; frass present on and below the plant. Hand-pick or apply Bt spray; inspect undersides of leaves for eggs and crush them.

Notched leaf margins from adult feeding at night; larval root-feeding causes wilting and plant collapse. Apply entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernema) to soil in spring; pick adult weevils off at night with a torch.

Stems browsed or snapped; growing tips removed, especially on plants at woodland edges. Use fencing or wire cages; apply deer repellent sprays and reapply after rain.