Oh my gosh, I just saw the biggest groundhog-looking thing on the edge of my woods.
It walked low to the ground, it was really fat, had a short dark tail, and scampered off deeper into the woods when it heard something. It was really chowing down on the foliage on the ground near my lawn. I wonder if that is what has been eating my hosta and coneflowers I had planted around there...
Does anyone have experience with groundhogs and what will they eat and NOT eat...haha
great big groundhog (?)
Sounds like a groundhog to me too. And yes they'll eat the leaves off your coneflowers, and maybe even some of the flowers. But they also eat broadleaf weeds in the grass, so it is a bit of give and take :)
I've used this thread to see what is consistent among people's eat/do-not-eat lists.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/peren/msg0310575312886.html
Good luck! (probably like deer - trial and error)
Wow, evie_beevie, that is a great link! Lots of good information. Looks like the coneflowers are a favorite of the groundhogs. I can move them to a more open area. I noticed they have not touched my monarda...that's good. Hope they stay away from the native columbine. They haven't touched it yet.