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Extension > Garden > Diagnose a problem > What's wrong with my plant? > Annuals and Perennials > Peony > Holes in leaves

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Peony > Leaves > Holes in leaves

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  • Image: animals 1
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Deer, rabbit and other animal damage

  • All of large sections of leaves are cut off and missing, leaving only a stem or petiole (leaf stalk)
  • Animal foot prints or dropping near plant
  • Often happens suddenly, overnight
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  • Image: rose chafer 1
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Rose chafer

  • Occurs late May to June
  • Feed on blossoms, chewing holes in them
  • Can also skeletonize leaves, i.e. chews tissue between veins, leaving foliage lace-like
  • Up to nearly 1/2 inch in length; slender tannish beetle with reddish-brown spiny legs
  • More information on Rose chafer
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  • Image: Japanese beetle 1
  • Image: Japanese beetle 2
  • Image: Japanese beetle 3

Japanese beetles

  • Occur late June to early September
  • Skeletonize leaves, i.e. chews tissue between veins, leaving foliage lace-like
  • Feed on blossoms, chewing holes in them
  • Up to almost 1/2 inch long; iridescent green with five white patches along the side of its body and two white patches on the tip of the abdomen
  • More information on Japanese beetles
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  • Image: Hail 1
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Hail

  • Ragged holes in foliage
  • Appears suddenly, after sever weather
  • Affects very local area only, sometimes individual plants show damage
  • Plants outgrow damage, leaves produced after hail event are undamaged

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