As a gardening and landscaping expert , I can confidently say that deer do indeed eat up wintercreeper . Wintercreeper , scientifically known as Euonymus fortunei , is a popular vine - like plant life that is often used as ground cover or as a climbing plant on walls and fences . It is known for its evergreen foliage and attractive variegate foliage .
Deer are notorious for their ravening appetites and can induce meaning damage to plant life in both rural and suburban areas . While some plants may be more deer - resistant than others , wintercreeper is regrettably not one of them . Deer will promptly course on the leaves , stems , and even the bark of wintercreeper plants , especially during the wintertime months when other food source are scarce .
One of the reasonableness cervid find wintercreeper particularly appealing is its lush foliation , which stay fleeceable throughout the twelvemonth . During the winter , when most plants have shed their leaves , wintercreeper stands out as a pronto available intellectual nourishment origin for athirst deer . They may browse on the leaves , stripping them from the stems and leaving behind bare arm .
Moreover , cervid may also nibble on the woody stanch of wintercreeper , especially when the works is vernal and fond . This can induce substantive damage to the plant ’s structure and hinder its growing and overall health . In severe cases , cervid may even eat the bark from the stems , which can be detrimental and potentially fatal to the plant .
Personal Experience : I have personally experienced the frustration of deer damage on wintercreeper plants in my own garden . Despite my endeavour to protect the plant with cervid repellents and fencing , the dogged deer still managed to get their way to the wintercreeper and provender on its leaves . The solution was a patchy and unsightly appearing , with some plants completely defoliated .
To mitigate cervid hurt on wintercreeper , there are several strategies you’re able to engage :
1 . cervid repellant : Apply commercially available deer repellents to the plant life , following the instructions supply . These repellant often contain strong odour or acrid predilection that deter cervid from feeding on the industrial plant . However , it ’s important to notice that these repellents may want to be reapplied regularly , peculiarly after rainfall or snowfall .
2 . fence : Install a physical barrier , such as a deer fence , around the vulnerable wintercreeper industrial plant . This can be an good path to leave off cervid from accessing the industrial plant and prevent them from cause damage . see that the fencing is tall enough and swallow up deeply enough in the ground to deter deer from jumping over or digging under it .
3 . Plant selection : Consider plant deer - repellent alternatives to wintercreeper in sphere prostrate to deer browsing . While no flora is entirely deer - proof , some specie are less sympathetic to deer and are less likely to be damage . enquiry local deer - resistant plants and choose those that suit your garden ’s weather and aesthetic preferences .
4 . Companion planting : Intersperse your wintercreeper with plants that are know to be less appealing to deer . For example , cervid tend to avoid plants with secure odor or prickly texture . By integrate cervid - repellent plants into your garden , you may be able to amuse the deer ’s attention away from the wintercreeper .
5 . Motion - activated deterrents : establish motion - activated gadget , such as sprinkler or noise makers , near your wintercreeper plants . These can startle cervid and discourage them from approaching the surface area . However , keep in mind that cervid may become accustomed to these baulk over clock time , so it ’s important to periodically change their position or expend different type of gimmick .
Deer are known to eat up wintercreeper plants , peculiarly during the wintertime month when other food germ are scarce . They may browse on the leave-taking , clean the industrial plant ’s foliage , and even feast on the woody stems and bark . To protect your wintercreeper from deer damage , consider using repellents , fence , companion planting , and motion - activated balk . commemorate , no method acting is foolproof , so it may be necessary to utilize multiple scheme in combination for the best termination .
Caroline Bates
