Over a period of two weeks our three year old Aucuba has been reduced to a few woody stalks. An unknown creature has removed all of the greener stems and foliage. There are no chewed stems near the plant, so they have either been consumed or taken away. There were a few leaves on the ground, so the stems seem to be the main attraction. There were also a few cream coloured berries on the plant before it was destroyed. Interestingly, two larger Aucuba Picturata shrubs nearby are untouched and there is no sign of unusual damage to any other shrubs. Any idea how we can identify the mysterious assailant? We have never seen a deer in the area. Could it be a raccoon?
Re: Aucuba problem Hi paulkeogh, I have found some information related to your Aucuba problem. It could have been root rots? Crown rots? Nematodes? If there were no sign of insects injury visible, I would check the health of the roots & check to see if there are any galls first.... Try this website: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/no.../od21aucuba.htm please let me know what you have found.... thanx
Maybe I did not explain the problem very well. Some creature has bitten off large parts of the plant and either consumed them or carried them away. E.G one evening there was one remaining stem with a few leaves on it; the next morning it had completely gone.
