What is eating my Baptisia australis seedpods?

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Buttoneer Carlisle, PA(Zone 6b) May 20, 2004

I have two Baptisias: one australis & one Purple Smoke. Purple smoke bloomed & was producing seedpods on 3 spikes when something ate them off clear down to the spike. Now Australis is blooming & we put a fence around it to keep my dog & the critter out of it & I sprinkled mothballs around the base of it. Purple smoke was only 18 inches high (the plant is ok, just no seedpods), and australis is 3 feet tall. I suspect a rabbit. Anybody else have this same problem with Baptisia & if so, how did you keep the critters from eating the seedpods? Any help would be appreciated.
thanks. Buttoneer.

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langbr Lenexa, KS(Zone 6a) May 22, 2004

Buttoneer - I've got australis and never noticed in 5 years anything eating my seed pods. That's odd. If your australis gets hit I'd be happy to share seeds from mine. My blooms are just ending to it will be awhile yet before I have ripe pods. Brenda

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Buttoneer Carlisle, PA(Zone 6b) May 22, 2004

Well, I sprinkled mothballs all around the plant (to turn off any critters that may be snacking there) and put a lattice fence around australis. B. purple smoke has lost it's seedpods which were forming but B. australis has seedpods, so we'll see how they're doing. Do you wait til the seedpods turn brown before you pick them off? I'll have to check the plant today to see if it still has seedpods on it or if they were nibbled off. Will let you know.

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langbr Lenexa, KS(Zone 6a) May 22, 2004

I collect my seedpods when they have turned light brown. I put them in a paper bag and let them finish drying. They will eventually start to break open on the bush and you'll lose your seeds so you can also put a paper bag on them while still on the shrub. I prefer to take them when they are a light brown as the wind around here gusts to 20-40mph and even a well tied bag gets blown off or else I've got some mischievous kids in the neighborhood. Brenda

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