This winter seems to be a tough one to shake off. It will just not
go away. Repetitive late season snow and nighttime below freezing
temperatures are wearing human patience thin.
Our neighbors living in the natural world around us are also feeling the
frustration of waiting for spring.
Wildlife was already stressed this winter by the lack of mast crop
(acorns), which serve as the mainstay of their winter diet. Repeated stresses to oak trees in our region
in the form of non-native pests, ice damage, and even the legendary deracho
storm of 2012 have all combined to challenge the production of acorns.
The delay in blooming of early spring fruits and berries along with the
depletion of what mast crop did exist is forcing wildlife to find other sources
of food. For Boxerwood and our neighbors
in the community this translates to horticultural specimens within our human-interest
zone. Whitetail Deer are notorious for
damaging landscaping in urban and suburban areas during hard winters. We are now experiencing a new level of such
damage as the deer search to replace food sources that are normally available
in nature by this time.
As you look around you it may become apparent that this increased
desperation for food is resulting in a “browse line” approximately 4 to 5 feet
high. Just about as high as a deer can
reach. Here at Boxerwood we have noted a
significant increase in deer browse among our rhododendron, azaleas, and even
arborvitae.
Once spring arrives in earnest and other food sources such as new
grasses, berries, and sprouting plants appear, deer will begin to move on to
these more preferred menus.
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| Arborvitaes that have been pruned by deer at Boxerwood |
