Tree injury in winter in all probability not deer — right here’s the doubtless perpetrator

“I not too long ago found injury to the bark on my daybreak redwood. Might this be brought on by deer? What can I do to forestall extra injury?”

— Darren Cosgrove, Palatine

The peeling bark in your daybreak redwood was in all probability brought on by squirrels. Deer injury — which is brought on by rubbing antlers in opposition to the trunks of timber — normally happens in fall and never winter.

Deer additionally want younger, smooth-barked timber to rub. If the injury on the tree goes up into the crown, this means it was not a deer rubbing the trunk of the tree. The bark will seem extra shredded when a deer is rubbing in opposition to the trunk.

The small scrape marks on the trunk of the tree may very well be from the squirrel’s enamel. I’ve noticed comparable injury to maples on this space, with the injury occurring larger up the within the tree. Branches will be girdled and killed if the bark is totally faraway from across the department.

There may be not a transparent purpose why squirrels peel bark, so there’s not a lot you are able to do to forestall this from occurring or to anticipate when it would occur once more. They might be feeding on the sugar-rich phloem, looking for a water supply, or carrying down their incisors.

This shouldn’t be an issue in the long run to your tree except the squirrels are in a position to actually peel into the deeper areas of the bark and have an effect on the cambium. A tree within the Chicago Botanic Backyard’s Dwarf Conifer Backyard confirmed comparable injury final yr, and it exhibits no indicators of everlasting injury.

Wrapping the trunk could be prudent, nevertheless, with the intensive peeling that has occurred, and to discourage extra injury to the tree. Your tree ought to get better from the injury.

For extra plant recommendation, contact the Plant Data Service on the Chicago Botanic Backyard at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture on the Chicago Botanic Backyard.