What's eating my foamy bells 'sweet tea'?

Foamy Bells 'Sweet Tea' is a Heucherella — a Heuchera × Tiarella hybrid — and inherits the same main threat: black vine weevil. Larvae eat roots underground while adults notch leaves at night. Root weevils and powdery mildew are secondary concerns. It is otherwise a tough, low-pest perennial.

Adults make irregular notches along leaf edges; creamy-white, C-shaped larvae eat roots and can cause the entire plant crown to detach in spring. Spray adults at night with a systemic insecticide (e.g., Bonide Systemic Insect Control); apply beneficial nematodes (NemaGlobe or similar) to the surrounding soil in autumn.

Angular notches along leaf margins are the telltale adult sign; root feeding by larvae weakens and eventually kills the plant. Hand-pick adults at night using a flashlight; drench soil with neem-based products or pathogenic nematodes to target larvae.

Damp conditions can lead to crown rot; slugs may occasionally rasp soft new foliage in spring, leaving irregular holes and slime trails. Improve drainage and reduce overhead watering; scatter iron phosphate slug bait around crowns in wet weather.