Red Beauty Holly - Ask Extension
The top half of my holly died and turned brown. I removed the dead branches and found the bark on the stem had been eaten in a regular pattern. Can yo...
Knowledgebase
Red Beauty Holly #866884
Asked May 03, 2024, 11:40 AM EDT
The top half of my holly died and turned brown. I removed the dead branches and found the bark on the stem had been eaten in a regular pattern. Can you tell me what caused this and how to save the rest of the hollY?
New Castle County Delaware
Expert Response
This is damage from a sapsucker bird, which are related to woodpeckers. Usually sapsucker damage doesn't kill off or damage trees to this extent, but it looks like it's essentially girdled the top of the tree, killing it. To protect trees from these birds, wrap barriers of 1/4 inch hardware cloth, plastic mesh, or burlap around injured areas to discourage further damage. This method may be practical for high-value ornamental or shade trees. Here is a helpful article which includes information about when to cover the tree: https://fairfaxgardening.org/sapsucker-damage/
