Take that, rats!

One of my favorite bushes/trees is Iochroma cyaneum. It’s flowers look like this:

With regular watering, it pretty much blooms all year. Sadly, though, when it is blooming, the big gigantic really really huge East San Diego County boondocks rats eat the flowers.

I have seen the rats jump from the fence and other trees into the Iochroma cyaneum to eat the flowers.

Early this morning I noticed that the leaves were looking a little sad. Sad? Ha! There are no leaves. It has been completely stripped by five of these alien creatures.

I give up. Sometime this week the remnants of this tree shall be removed and a tall cactus or succulent shall be planted in its place. Take that, rats!