What is cutting my coneflowers?

Something has started cutting my coneflowers about 4-5" from the ground. It looks like someone took a pair of scissors to them! Both flower and leaf stalks are being cut. So far, no other plant has been cut except a single stalk of butterfly weed. This first photo shows both a cut stalk (the bloom was just about to open - boohoo) and, if you look closely, the white spot is where it started cutting on the tallest stalk. I've searched for grasshoppers, caterpillars, etc. but didn't find anything. I don't think they would cut all the stalks at a uniform height as shown in the 2nd photo.

I suspect it was the rat that was living in our french drain system. Yes, WAS living in our drains. We trapped him last night (he loved butterfly brew). What do you think? Do rats eat coneflowers? I guess we will find out in the next couple of days...

Debra

Ooops! Got my photos in the wrong order. The partially cut stalk is in the next photo.



This message was edited Jun 12, 2007 8:15 AM

Notice how uniform the height of the remaining stalk is.

I don't know if rats will eat plants or not, rabbits would be another possible suspect.

I would suspect rabbits if it wasn't inside a gated courtyard. Not that the rabbits can't get through the gates, but they would have to be brave rabbits!

I don't think it's going to require much bravery for them to hop through between the bars if they smell a good meal on the other side!

I get rabbits doing similar damage all the time. I could probably live with their damage - although I still loath them, but usually they don't even eat what they chew off.



This message was edited Jun 12, 2007 1:24 PM

Wascal Wabbit

At this rate, I won't have any coneflowers left! The partially chewed one is already wilting and it had 3 or 4 big blooms just beginning to open. Guess they will end up in a vase. I never would have thought of rabbits! (I'm beginning to feel like Elmer Fudd!)

Oh Debra.... my wascally wabbits mowed down all of my Red Poppies, most my sunflowers [i have 1 tall one left], half of my cosmos and about 25% of my JoePye Weed. [all of those were winter sown]

I'm just hoping something blooms this year. Most of the seeds i direct sown are actually blooming.

even with the damage... i still love the lil guys.... now if they were mowing my hostas... that'd be another story.

Terese

I checked for rabbit pellets but didn't see any. Now I'm going to obsess over this until I actually catch the criminal in the act! Maybe I'll mount DH's motion activated sports camera........

Garden Girl took the words right out of my mouth -- Wascal Wabbit!

Today they got a giant stalk of Salvia Veronica in my garden, and like BigCityBoy says, they don't even eat it; they just leave it lying on the ground. Something about them having to continually chew because their teeth keep growing? I think Al knows a little about that and can shed some light on the veracity.

Suzy.

I gave my neighbor a purple coneflower I grew from seed in my greenhouse. We're next door neighbors. All of my coneflowers are doing swell - my neighbor (who, like me, treats his new plants like "babies") is really upset because his three dachschunds keep eating all the leaves on his echinacea, all the way down to the stalk!

Do you by chance have a dog? :-)

I live in the city, and I've never seen a rabbit in the neighborhood.

But who knows???

Melissa

Yes, we have two dogs but they are fenced out of the courtyard area. His dachshunds eat the leaves? They don't look very appetizing to me....so stiff and prickly. My dogs have eaten sweet potato plants, baby gourds but not coneflowers.

No new chewed stalks last night. I'm thinking it was the rat. Keep your fingers crossed. Will check again tomorrow morning.....