Thanks to everyone! Rats!! It might be rats. I've seen some running along the fence. Lots of construction in the area and it's sending them scurrying hither and yon. Guess they're small enough to eat the heads without trampling the leaves, huh. Yikes! Wish I could blame a more pleasant critter.

Jeff, I know it's hard, but if you can get out there early, look real close on the branch of the plant, I mean stare at it, I swear that's catipillar damage. They are usually on the branches, and when they see you or hear you, they are real still, and sometimes it's hard to see them. If you see one, you have more than one. They are chomping the tops off, that is what catipillars do. I picked 7 or 8 off of one of my plants, just pull them off, they don't bite. Also, wash the bush down real good, there are little black eggs on the bush too, you have to look close to see it. If your problem is catipillars, but that is what my plant looked like, and I caught them. It will take a couple days to find them, they are hard to see, they look like your plant.

The brown, dried edges to what few holes I can see would indicate that any insect damage - if this is what it is - is not recent. So therefore little chance of finding the actual culprits. But as noted, there are very few holes so not something I would be concerned about. We do not live in a perfect world and plant foliage will often be damaged by insects.....that's just the way it works :-) Unless the infestation was very severe - and this is not - then leaving the plant alone and letting nature take care of it is by far the best method to follow.

I vote with Tiffany for pillbugs. Rodents, snails and slugs would devour the seedlings entirely. Pillbugs are good at attacking your most prized seedlings and newly planted anuuals. Is your Climbing monkshood Aconitum uncinatum? That's an eastern species that grows in damp woods and seeps. Do people grow it successfully on the west coast? Monkshood is poisonous so maybe whatever was eating it felt sick and never finished? What state are you in Senior Balloon? I just looked and your seedlings are probably Aconitum colunbianum which is also scandant and a west coast native. Thanks btw I just found out from this post that there were climbing monkshoods. I always thought they were all upright perennials. Even when I was trying( unsuccessfully) to germinate Aconitum uncinatum seeds I had no idea it was a vine. I have a vine obsession. Next time I'll order a plant. Their growth habit must be similar to Solanum dulcamara. I love bitterwseet nightshade. I get a sense of serenity and contentment being around beautiful, but deadly plants Lol. Pillbugs are good for cleaning up contaminated soil. They absorb heavy metels so maybe they like the toxic monkshood?