Critter damage on Hosta

last year

I may have asked this before but I have a quick forgetter. :(

This is Golden Tiara with most of the flower stalks cut off, they are all laying on the ground next to the plant. This is one GT plant in a bed of about twenty, none of the rest have been touched. There a few other hostas through the garden that have the same cutting but not to this extent.

I first thought rabbits but some are to high up for any normal cotton tail. It must be some kind of cutworm but only gets the flower stalks and doesn't bother the leaves.

Note-They are all cut on a sharp angle.

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Comments (5)

djacob Z6a SE WI
last year
Sorry to see this happening. I have had cutworms before but never did they cut the flower off. They always ate around the leaves.

Such clean angular cuts almost looks like purposeful human work……do you have any neighbors who are upset with you or are you sleep walking? Lol Of course I am joking at your expense!

Do deer do this? I would imagine they would eat the flowers though, not leave them……. I’m of little help except to say I don’t think it’s cutworms.

debra
old_dirt 6a thanked djacob Z6a SE WI
indianagardengirl
last year
last modified: last year
Cornell says: Clean, angled cuts:Rabbits have sharp incisors and make clean, angled cuts when they chew on plants, often at a 45-degree angle.

I know they can reach quite high by standing on those long hind legs. Maybe they stopped because they didn’t like the taste?
old_dirt 6a thanked indianagardengirl
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lindalana 5b Chicago
last year
Rabbits. They make exactly cut you show.
old_dirt 6a thanked lindalana 5b Chicago
sherrygirl zone5 N il
last year
I agree with rabbits. Here they dont attack the same plants year to year.

Sherry
old_dirt 6a
Original Author
last year
Well I guess it must be rabbits then. Seems strange that out of twenty GT's in that bed only the one was cut off and on three different nights. I wonder if they are doing it for the moisture as they didn't eat it. They are also eating all my milkweed plants. Been trying to establish a bed of them for several years but they get them before any can mature.

Thank you all for the info.