Arborvitae damaged by deer - Ask Extension
Will the lower parts regrow? It it advised to trim the damaged lower sections down to the trunk? Thank you.
Knowledgebase
Arborvitae damaged by deer #830879
Asked May 19, 2023, 10:14 AM EDT
Will the lower parts regrow? It it advised to trim the damaged lower sections down to the trunk? Thank you.
Pine County Minnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, the foliage on your columnar arborvitaes will not regrow after the extensive damage done by deer. You may choose to prune the dead branches to the trunk which will leave you with the foliage on the top. This past winter was very harsh on trees and shrubs with deer and rabbit damage, so your damage is common. Here's two articles from the University of MN Extension Service on how to deal with protecting your trees and shrubs:
https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/evergreen/arborvitae/barkchewedorremoved.html
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/white-tailed-deer-damage
