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arborvitae shrubs #927482

Asked April 04, 2026, 10:03 AM EDT

My 3 arborvitae shrubs have been stripped of all the green foliage/leaves from hungry deer. All that remains are brown sticks from the main stem. Are the arborvitae going to recover from this damage or are they essentially dead? Help!

Washington County Minnesota

Expert Response

How sad and frustrating, bunnies and squirrels stripped the bark off several of my trees and shrubs over the winter too.
Sadly, the branches completely stripped of needles will not replace the needles.
https://blog.davey.com/do-arborvitae-branches-grow-back-after-deer-or-storm-damage/

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