Rhododendron - Ask Extension
1st picture: What has happened ? What can i do to remedy it? Should I prune these branches off the bush?
2nd picture
3rd picture - We have severa...
Knowledgebase
Rhododendron #900628
Asked May 08, 2025, 1:46 PM EDT
1st picture: What has happened ? What can i do to remedy it? Should I prune these branches off the bush?
2nd picture
3rd picture - We have several newly planted Rhodies as of last fall. The deer which are too dense in our area ate all the leaves and some of the stems! We have lots of Rhodies on our property and they have never eaten them.
Are these salvageable? If so, what should I do?
Suggestions for deer deterrents? I have tried many but I am open to suggestions anyway. You may have a new thought. Thank you in advance for your response
Ottawa County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
The top picture appears to be winter damage. This occurs in evergreen plants when they lose water through leaves when the ground is frozen, making water unavailable to the roots.
The lower two pictures appear to be deer damage, given that the leaves are gone, along with parts of the twig-tips. Another clue is that the tips are frayed, a tell-tale sign of deer.
You will need to protect these plants from prevailing winds next winter (think burlap barriers), water later into the fall, and create some mesh barriers to exclude the deer all year round. It may be that they were just going for those plants at a time when other things were not available, but rhododendrons are know to be vulnerable to deer browse.
The following article discusses all of this in detail.
https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2021/03/rhododendrons-other-broadleaved-evergreens-showing-signs-winter-damage
I hope this is helpful. Thank you for contacting Ask Extension.
Ruth
The top picture appears to be winter damage. This occurs in evergreen plants when they lose water through leaves when the ground is frozen, making water unavailable to the roots.
The lower two pictures appear to be deer damage, given that the leaves are gone, along with parts of the twig-tips. Another clue is that the tips are frayed, a tell-tale sign of deer.
You will need to protect these plants from prevailing winds next winter (think burlap barriers), water later into the fall, and create some mesh barriers to exclude the deer all year round. It may be that they were just going for those plants at a time when other things were not available, but rhododendrons are know to be vulnerable to deer browse.
The following article discusses all of this in detail.
https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2021/03/rhododendrons-other-broadleaved-evergreens-showing-signs-winter-damage
I hope this is helpful. Thank you for contacting Ask Extension.
Ruth
