Teeder
5 year old buck +
Old post, but I was going through re-reading this morning.My plant today is one that is not a native, and it is considered by some to be invasive. It certainly is invasive, but it will never be invasive where deer exist. This is because they love to eat it so much, they will destroy it. The plant I'm speaking of is Winterberry Euonymus (aka Euonymus fortunei). The only place I have ever seen this plant thrive is in spots close to houses or roads - and possibly in some spots that are blocked off from deer. As you can see below, the only place on my entire farm that it exists is facing the highway - but even there, deer have stood out on the blacktop at times and browsed it.
This plant is very unusual. It starts as a groundcover, but it can also take the form of a shrub or climbing vine. When it climbs a tree is when it starts making orange berries. I'm sure the birds eat the berries and spread this plant, but before it can establish in a new place, deer will eat it to the ground and destroy it.
I'm going to do a little experimenting with this plant. I'm going to start it in some cages at a few places and let it get established. Then at some point I will remove the cages and see if it can survive the browsing. Or, it might be better to leave the cages and let it climb the cages. That way the deer can eat from the outside and not be able to completely kill it.
I would like some feedback from you guys on where you have observed this plant. My guess is that you will tell me in yards and cities but not out in the wild. Let me know................. PS - this has to be in the top 5 plants of preferred deer browse that I have ever seen.
I was checking my favorite swo this past weekend for acorns and came across this bush, which "Picture This" said is Winterberry
(Ilex verticillata). Is that different than what you have? This was a good mile back in near an old beaver pond.
