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Hi Pete, I have a camp in the Adirondacks with a set of dead arborvitae bushes around a sunny part of the driveway. I was told by a local person that the dear eat the arborvitae and its difficult to keep them away from anything green–especially in the cold months. I would like to replace these with a hardy shrub (similar to the arborvitae) to provide some privacy, but I am unsure as to what might be the best option in this setting. Any recommendation? Thanks for your time. Jim

Thanks for your question Jim, . . The local person is right…deer are a big problem for evergreens in the Adirondacks. There is one arborvitae that is deer resistant, the Green Giant Arborvitae. It is hardy to USDA zone 5 meaning it can tolerate temperatures as low as -25°F. Green Giants are also fast growing and can get quite tall…up to 40′ or so in 25 to 30 years. There are a couple of junipers that are also deer resistant. There’s an upright form called Moonglow Juniper. Moonglow doesn’t grow as fast as Green Giant but is a nice silvery color and will reach 20′ eventually. There’s alos a wide spreading juniper that is deer resistant called Sea Green Juniper. Sea Green gets about 6′ tall and 8′ wide. If you want some color, weigelas come in may leaf andflower colors and many will get 6′ to 8′ tall and wide. Being deciduous, they won’t provide privacy in the winter but will do a great job in the summer. It might still be wise to cover them for the first few years with deer netting in the fall to protect them over the winter. Deer netting is a black plastic mesh that you won’t notice but the deer can’t get their mouths through. You could check our Queensbury store for availability 792-3638. Ask for Charlie or Tom and they can tell you what is available there or at other Hewitt’s locations.

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