| JUST WONDERING WHETHER IT IS IMPRACTICAL TO PLANT BURNING BUSHES WHEN I HAVE MANY DEER FRIENDS AROUND. WOULD I BE BETTER SERVED BY BOXWOODS? PLEASE ADVISE. THANK YOU. |
| In my experience the deer do not usually bother boxwood. According to some gardeners, deer will devour burning bush but the deer in my area have not done so (yet). You might check with your neighbors and local county extension as to what to expect locally, deer seem to eat different plants in different areas. The two plants are very different. The burning bush is deciduous and grows quite large, in the range of 8 feet or more. It needs full sun to color nicely in the fall. The boxwood is evergreen and does best in a spot with shelter from winter winds. The mature size will vary depending on which cultivar you select. Here is a little more information on gardening in deer country. It is nearly impossible to give you a reliable listing of plants that deer will or will not eat -- I have seen our own local deer eat many things listed as supposedly unattractive to deer. Unfortunately, these are adaptable animals and they will learn to eat new plants when there is a harsh winter or a food shortage or when new things are planted along their usual browse path. So a list from one area will not necessarily be applicable to another. The best you can hope to do is check with local neighboring gardeners and find out what the local deer population already recognizes as edible, which plants they are having the best and worst luck with, and plant accordingly. (Your local county extension may also have some suggestions.) It is also worth mentioning that deer can do almost as much damage by trampling as by eating and since they are creatures of habit, if they already dine at your house they will continue to come onto your property to do so if at all possible. In my own sad experience, a tall fence is the only reliable long term defense against these creatures, especially in an area where the pressure is severe. Repellents may also be effective if consistently applied and reapplied according to the label instructions, but this is a lot of work if your plantings are extensive. Having said all that, here are some lists. http://www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry... http://www.hort.cornell.edu/ga... http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/ho... http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/cespubs... http://www.agnr.umd.edu/ces/pu... Good luck with your plantings! |
