Bunnies can do a lot of damage on low growing things. Check for deer tracks. If there are none, it may be those sneaky bunnies. I have problems with both critters, and bunnies are especially bad in the early spring when there is not enough to eat in the wild.

No deer tracks in the yard or in or near the bed as that was the first thing I looked for since there are deer that come around during the winter. I don't normally have bunnies any more since we got our black lab.

This morning there was a hole about 3 inches in diameter approx. 12 inches away from the eaten plant. I put a stick in the hole but it was very shallow only about 3 or 4 inches deep in any direction and becuase of shrub roots the stick wouldn't go any further. I know it isn't a mole as they are insect eaters. I don't think it is a vole because the plant was too big for a vole to eat the whole thing in one night. Could it possibly be a chipmunk? I have only seen one chipmonk in the area one time in the 11 years I have lived here. These are not new plantings and I have never had them eaten in the past. I am totally perplexed.

Penny

Was the Helleborus foliage actually eaten or maybe just carried away?
I can't imagine any creature dumb enough to ingest any part of those, as they contain toxins that, at best, cause gastrointestinal disorders or worse, cardiac dysfunction's, that sometimes leads to a coma.
Rb

I don't know for sure if any of the helleborus was actually ingested. What I found with the Helleborus is that the stems were bitten/cut off close to the ground and left there.

I checked with our county agent at the Cornell co-operative extension service and he ruled out deer and voles but not rabbits and possibly a woodchuck or chipmonk and suggested hot pepper sauce which of course I had already thought of doing. Normally I don't have a problem with critters here in my yard because of the dog and I don't even mind them as long as they don't bother my hummer plants especially my early spring bloomers. Most of my hummer plants are mature and critter resistant that is why this is so baffling. This was a very long and hard winter so it could be that there still isn't much for them in the way of natural food.

Penny

Not likely but I was wondering if the dog did it. That's what the bunnies said to me anyway.

LOL yes the bunnies would say something like that to defer attention away from them. No the dog has no access to that bed.

Penny

My vote is on a groundhog. Try and watch in early morning and early evening because those times are prime for most wildlife and good for groundhogs too. I catch mine with havaheart traps.
Joann

Gee, nobody's ever eaten my columbines, and I've got rabbits, deer, woodchucks, chipmunks, you name it. Somebody who was very hungry or had an unusual taste.

Joann, I suppose you could be right about the ground hog. There is one that lives under a she across the road and down some. I suppose if he was hungry enough it would appeal to him

davidl,
I too have all those critters nearby and these are three and 4 yr. old plants. None of my plants have every been touched befor.

I would like to report that the muched on columbine is coming back and has one flower bud so all is not lost but I did cage the plant the next morning when I saw the damage and I have caged all of my new plantings as well just to be safe.

Penny

How frustrating!!! My deer cleaned me out this winter, so I feel your pain. I can't even find my azalea or my oakleaf hydrangea.

As others said, Helleborus are pretty reliably deer proof. I have a lot of chipmunks and they've never destroyed a single plant so far. The bunnies definitely do damage but I can't imagine a bunny cleaning house in one sitting. Usually (for me anyway), unless its a lilly, its more of a gradual thing.

I've tried MANY repellents, including red pepper flakes and a homemade concotion of eggs, peppers and garlic. The ONLY think that has worked for me is Bobbex. Its amazing. They make a rabbit version (not sure why the deer version isn't enough, as they all seem to hate the same smells), and I bet the Bobbex-R would also repel other rodents. Maybe give that a try?