In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

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June 4, 2007

Chewed sunflower leaves

The leaves of my sunflowers are chewed and tattered. Some have been reduced to mere skeletons.

Gold finches are eating them. This morning one brazenly sat on top of the tomato cage next to the sunflower bed waiting for me to leave so he could have sunflower leaves for breakfast. He even scolded me when I walked too close to his favorite breakfast sunflower. For years I've heard people cheerily tell me how sunflowers attract birds of all sorts, including finches, that hang on the heads to feast on the seeds. They look at me like I’m an alien when I tell them the finches also feast on the leaves. Seems not many people hang around to watch, preferring to think some exotic insect was making all those holes in the leaves.

But it’s definitely finches. I’ve watched them. They prefer the older leaves, leaving the young ones for later. I don’t mind sharing. The plant produces plenty of leaves and goldfinches have to eat, too. Meanwhile, the sunflower leaves look pretty awful.

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