Do Deer Eat Yaupon?

When planning to add a little winter color to your garden, you might ask – Do Deer eat yaupon? In this blog post, we will talk about the yaupon holly and whether Deer can eat them.

Deer can eat a wide variety of plant-based materials and sometimes eggs or gut piles if they find them. If you live in an area with a booming deer population, then you need to plan your garden with much care. Cultivating the right plants can help you prevent Deer from ruining your hard work. Even when you decide to grow plants that are favorite dinnertime treats, insights about their feeding habits can help you protect your plants. One such beautiful, durable, and adaptable plant you might consider is the Yaupon Holly.

Yaupon Holly is an evergreen tree or shrub known for its gorgeous berries. It is native to the South, although it has many other attractive varieties. For large-growing yaupon hollies, they can grow up to 25 feet tall, with just as much circumference in width. However, they usually develop in about ten years, making them a great permanent fixture to your property. You can use them as a screen hedge or ornamental decor around your home. The yaupon also has varieties that can fit into small potted spaces, making them great additions to your gardens.

Yaupon Holly, Deer deterrent or attractant?

When you consider the fantastic benefits of cultivating the yaupon holly, you may ponder – do Deer eat yaupon? The answer is that it depends on the situation. Yaupons are Deer resistant, which means Deer consider them unpalatable. Still, yaupon hollies are also resistant to drought, heat, diseases, and insects – making them an excellent addition to your garden.

However, since they are winter plants, deer will most likely feed on them during those seasons as they can provide the much-needed nutrients for survival. Deer will feed on the hollies berries, twigs and the bark of a yaupon holly tree.

Restoring Deer damaged hollies

During a long hard winter, Deer will likely carry out significant harm on yaupon hollies, eating everything from berries to the bark. You do not have to be discouraged as this foliage can grow back with minimum attention in the upcoming spring. Even when it looks like the Deer have done extensive damage, your hollies can handle heavy pruning and might benefit from this harsh rejuvenation. However, you may have to prune a bit more, on your own to boost the growth of new foliage on inner limbs. Once you have pruned, your holly will be ready to grow with the coming spring.

Final thoughts

Do Deer eat yaupon Hollies? No, they usually use yaupon hollies as a last resort for food. However, Yaupon Hollies will become the meal of choice for any deer during the winter. As a famous winter plant, it will provide Deer with berries, twigs, barks and stem for a considerable part of their winter meal. Even more, yaupon hollies can withstand the severe foraging of Deer and will likely bounce back by spring. All you have to do, prune a bit more, do not over-water and avoid applying fertilizer. In no time, you will have your stunning beauties back to their full bloom.

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