Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Thursday - August 06, 2015

From: Danvers, MA
Region: Northeast
Topic: Pests, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Pest Dug Up and Ate Hypoxis Corms
Answered by: Anne Van Nest

QUESTION:

After years of no problems, something recently dug up and ate all my Yellow star-grass corms. What is attracted to them and is there an organic way to prevent it?

ANSWER:

Yellow star-grass (Hypoxis hirsuta) is also known as common goldstar and is a low, tufted, grass-like perennial that grows 3-8 in. tall from a hard, hairy corm. The hairy, grass-like leaves originate from the base of the plant. Slender, thread-like flowering stems may be erect or reclining. They carry 3/4 in., star-shaped, yellow flowers below the top of the leaves.

The Illinoiswildflowers.info website has a note that some small rodents do occasionally eat the corms. Perhaps their usual foods were scarce. You can try to protect future corms from predators by creating a chicken wire, window screening or hardware cloth cage for the bulbs that is buried below the soil surface. The New York Botanical Gardens has several more tips for gardeners who have bulbs go missing including: placing a handful of sharp grit in the planting holes, cover the area with bird netting, or building a mesh or wire cage 1/2" hardware cloth for the bottom and sides and larger chicken wire for the top.

 

From the Image Gallery


Common goldstar
Hypoxis hirsuta

Common goldstar
Hypoxis hirsuta

Common goldstar
Hypoxis hirsuta

More Pests Questions

Problems with beheaded non-native Gerbera daisies in Cooperstown, NY
May 31, 2009 - I planted my gerberas in my perennial bed - as usual. Something is beheading them and leaving the blooms along side the plant. Some of the bloom is eaten but most of it is right there. I have t...
view the full question and answer

Hydrangea with Pest and Sun Issues
July 26, 2015 - My hydrangea is in trouble. Something is eating holes in the leaves which then turn brown on the edges (the holes and the tips of the leaves are also burned). It looks like someone burned them with ...
view the full question and answer

Replacements for yuccas from Georgetown TX
August 07, 2013 - I have lost some softleaf and variegated yucca to a beetle grub destroying the root system - like the Agave snout beetle does. I have put an insecticidal drench on my remaining plants, but suspect wi...
view the full question and answer

Rabbit-proof Plants for Texas
July 03, 2014 - Do you have a list of flowers that rabbits will eat or will not eat so I know what to plant or avoid? I have a year-round rabbit population in my neighborhood and wish to co-exist with them without t...
view the full question and answer

Plants that animals won't eat from Ione WA
April 19, 2013 - In Ione Washington and need to know what types of plants and flowers I can plant that animals in that area wont eat?
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.