What's eating my sweet cicely?

Sweet Cicely is a shade-tolerant woodland herb that is largely trouble-free. Slugs and snails are the main pest, targeting emerging foliage early in spring. Aphids may colonise hollow stems and flower umbels in summer. Birds and small mammals rarely bother it. Once established in moist, humus-rich soil, plants grow vigorously and outpace light pest pressure.

Holes and shredded edges on young leaves at ground level; damage peaks in damp spring weather Iron phosphate pellets; copper tape around pots; hand-pick at night; encourage ground beetles with log-pile habitats nearby

Colonies inside hollow stems or on flower umbels; distorted umbels and sticky deposits visible in late spring Spray insecticidal soap on colonies; remove and destroy heavily infested flower heads; beneficial insects usually restore balance