skip to main content

Deer damaged euonymous--is there hope?

Hobbes_in_Dobbs

16 years ago

Well, so much for Bobbex and Deer-off-- the deer got my Manhattan Euonyomous, and they got them bad. Munched through a whole hedgerow. Pretty pathetic looking, all these twiggy stems. What's best for these guys in the spring-- cut them way back, or will the stems bud out? Or is it all over? Appreciate any feedback.

Best, Hobbes

Featured Answer

lorie_deerfeeder

14 years ago

The deer got mine, too, just after I planted them last spring. I was told to cut the 'sticks' back to the ground and they would come back. I was told also to put Milorganite fertilizer around them because the deer hate the smell and won't come near. I also now feed the deer corn, hoping they won't be so hungry!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

diggingthedirt
16 years ago
I'd put my money on the euyonymous; they'll leaf out and recover just fine. You can just prune to tidy up the shape, if you want to, and use what you remove to start new plants - it roots unbelievably easily.
laceyvail 6A, WV
16 years ago
Deer love euonymous, and they'll be after them every winter. Your best bet, at least in winter when deer are more likely to browse woodies, is to cover them with the nearly invisible black deer netting.
Related Discussions
Pruning for deer damage
Q
Comments (3)
Peter, Sorry to hear about the damage. It's frustrating, after all the work and time. You might consider an electric 3-D fence. It has worked well for me. It's the least expensive setup that works. As far as pruning for a deer-infested world, search back to some of harvestman's posts. He made a good argument for shaping your trees so that there are no branches within five feet of the ground. Yes, it's going to take time to get to that point, and you'll need some kind of cage in the mean time, but without a fence, it may be the best plan. Don't give up hope, Marc
...See More
deer damage to shrubs
Q
Comments (3)
Approaching our fourth summer in the house, and suddenly deer have discovered the yard. The worst damage is to 10 mature Indian hawthorns, which seem to get smaller and have fewer leaves each day. The azaleas are also showing some damage. This is my first experience with deer, so I don't know if this will run its course or if the deer will continue to eat and ultimately kill the plants. Unfortunately the hawthorns are among the few shrub varieties left in the yard that the voles haven't killed. It didn't take long to understand why the seller had so many new shrubs planted just prior to listing the house.
...See More
Deer damage and pruning
Q
Comments (7)
BritGardener, I'm looking for the same info you are. We bought our present property three years ago, partly because of the many dozens of 30 year old rhodies and azaleas, most of which are 8+ feet high and produce amazing blooms. There didn't seem to be any noticeable history of deer damage, but last year they began munching in late August and now all of our rhodies are mushroomed. We fenced in a few of the azaleas and have decided we really need to do this for all of the plants we want to protect. I've noticed tiny leaf buds on some of the plants, so hopefully they'll come back. We've gone through all the so-called deer repellants, with no luck at all---plus, in order to treat as many shrubs as we have we'd need a tanker truck of the stuff. My sense is that if your local deer learn they like rhodies/azaleas, and if their normal forage source is gone, they'll keep eating your plants. Especially if you prune them down, you're asking for trouble---you need to fence them in. We've had luck with both the metal and plastic kinds of fence (which we did think to use on our hemlock hedge when they attacked it 2 years ago), but they need to be 4-5 feet tall and well staked. (A cheap but not pretty method is to use rebar for stakes.) Individual plants can be surrounded by a fencing "cage." Also, there is a new repellant product out that supposedly smells/tastes like daffodils. I haven't found it yet, but will try it. My only fear with this is that our deer may decide they like this too and begin eating all our spring bulbs while they're at it! Good luck!
...See More
Yucca and Deer Damage
Q
Comments (14)
I bought mine about 4 or 5 years ago, I splurged about $45 on it to go in that special corner in the courtyard, thats spending a lot on one plant for me. It was a Monrovia plant named Yucca rostrata 'Sapphire Skies'. The spider mites ended up being a blessing in disguise because its better with the bottom trimmed up. It was easy to cut the leaves off with a steak knife, you can do lots of leaves at a time and it only took me about 45 minutes, the leaves are thin and pliable so the tips don't stick you. I had to do it again this year because it got red spiders again and had a big dead looking side up by the top before I discovered it, who'd of thought they'd attack it in winter while my back was turned? I hope once it reaches a tall enough height to clear the top of the wall, the air circulation will help prevent this problem, they can reach 18ft. I saw one recently here that was as tall as the second story window at a house. I had no idea they got that tall and came home and googled and yes, its possible. They are hardy to 0 degrees and I read it will grow in as low as zone 5 & 6 around Denver. It needs good drainage but otherwise its not picky about soil. It is hypnotic watching it move in the wind, the leaves all move together and it reminds me of a musical instrument. So far it has never bloomed but the powder blue color is decorative enough by itself.
...See More
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
16 years ago
Next to fuchsia, this has got to be the most misspelled plant name on the planet!! That's Euonymus.
harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania
16 years ago
I remember reading somewhere that deer saliva contains something which promotes regrowth of vegetation. Maybe just another old wives tale...
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
16 years ago
I can't vouch for Euonymus kiautschovicus 'Manhattan', but I can say that my Euonymus europaeus would dang near sprout from the wood that was cut off and just laying on the ground.

tj
hostarhodo
16 years ago
The deer ate the greenery on my euonymus every year for approx 4 yrs, they came back fuller and better than ever. The deer had food and saved me pruning them. Seriously, they should be okay. The first time I was alarmed too.
Hobbes_in_Dobbs
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks, everyone. You have cheered me up! I went out today and saw that they got the yew hedge. Maybe it's time for the deer fence. Thanks again, folks!
Dibbit
16 years ago
It's my understanding that you have to alternate among the deer repellents fairly frequently - it bad taste wears off, or the deer realize the smell has nothing to do with taste. Sorry for your euonymus, but, as Hostarhodo says, if it is a well established planting, it should come back just fine.

Yew is one of the most loved deer-food - growing up in VT, the deer came by the front doorway and ate the yews most years, as did the deer in Rhinebeck at my sister's then house. It recovered, if slowly. Yew is another that WILL come back, if not as fast as you want.

If you do put up a fence, or a cage around the favorites, be aware that A.) any bits sticking through will get eaten, and encourage them to push at the barrier, and B.) take it down or widen it before the leaves or stems grow through the mesh/holes, etc.. It is VERY hard to remove fencing from already grown plants without breaking off leaves or stems, if not whole branches. You can't put it up, leave it and have it last for years without spacing it to allow for growth in the first place.

Related Stories

FALL GARDENING 6 Deer-Resistant Flowering Vines to Plant This Fall

Have a major deer problem? Here are some of the only vines that have a chance of not being eaten

GARDENING GUIDES Great Garden Combo: 3 Wonderful Plants for a Deer-Resistant Screen

Protect your privacy and keep deer at bay with a planting trio that turns a problem garden area into a highlight

GARDENING GUIDES Top 12 Summer-Blooming Perennials for Deer-Resistant Drama

Can you have garden color, fragrance and exciting foliage with hungry deer afoot? These beauties say yes

TREES 7 Deer-Resistant Flowering Trees to Plant this Fall

If you live in a neighborhood with roaming deer, consider these beautiful trees that won't tempt hungry guests

CONTAINER GARDENS 7 Deer-Resistant Flowers for Your Summer Containers

Grow these as protection for edibles or just for their colorful beauty — deer might not like them, but everyone else will

FENCES AND GATES A Deer Fence Can Be Decorative as Well as Protective

You need a monster-size fence to shelter your garden from deer, but it doesn’t have to look like a monstrosity

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Deer-Resistant Ground Covers to Plant This Fall

Learn about some of the only low, spreading plants that are reliably deer-resistant

DECLUTTERING 5 Ways to Jump-Start a Whole-House Decluttering Effort

By Laura Gaskill

If the piles of paperwork and jampacked closets have you feeling like a deer in the headlights, take a deep breath and a baby step

MONTHLY HOME CHECKLISTS Your Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

By Laura Gaskill

Prep your house and yard for cold weather with this list of things to do in an hour or over a weekend

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Northern Bush Honeysuckle, a Bronze Beauty

It helps control erosion and takes sun or shade. The butterflies love it. But the best part of this shrub may be the vivid foliage

Sponsored

High Point Cabinets

21 Reviews

Columbus' Experienced Custom Cabinet Builder | 4x Best of Houzz Winner

More Discussions

Cutting Back Stems After Transplant With Plant Shock?

13

Mountain fire pieris

3

Planting distance Question

17

Rubus idaeus or wineberry?

13

anyone experience these winter killed?

6