Can Arborvitae Recover From Deer Damage? | What Actually Grows Back

One wrong winter can turn a row of arborvitae into bare brown sticks at the bottom. You are not the first person to stare at the damage and wonder if the tree is done for. The honest answer is conditional: branches that still have any green needles or buds will bounce back with the right care, but wood stripped clean to the bark is dead and will stay bare forever. Recovery is about saving what is still alive and hiding what is not — and it starts with an honest assessment of the damage.

The Hard Truth About Bare Branches

When deer eat every green needle off a branch, the wood underneath will not regrow. Arborvitae do not push new growth from old, bare wood the way a broadleaf shrub might. The Iowa State Extension confirms that if no buds are present on the bare sections, those areas remain permanently exposed. Brown, brittle branches signal irreversible damage and should be trimmed back to the nearest fork where green growth still exists. The tree is not dead — it is simply missing parts that will not come back.

The exception is any branch that still carries even a small patch of green tissue or visible buds. Those can recover over time. The key is to cut only the dead tips and leave the rest alone so the living needles can drive new growth.

How Long Until It Looks Normal Again?

Arborvitae grow about 6–12 inches per year under good conditions. A tree that lost its lower foliage may take 2–3 full growing seasons to fill back in, and only if the remaining structure still has live wood and buds. If the lower 3–4 feet are completely bare with no buds, that area is permanently lost. The tree can still thrive above that point, but you will need landscaping or a different variety to cover the gap.

For a quick reference on what determines recovery, this table breaks it down by the type of damage you are seeing:

Step-by-Step Recovery Process

The Davey Tree Expert Company outlines a straightforward sequence for arborvitae hit by deer. Start by assessing the full scope of the damage: look for split trunks, broken tops, exposed roots, and downed limbs before you touch any pruning shears. Trees with structural damage may need professional attention, and storms can leave the yard unsafe if roots are exposed.

Once you know the tree is stable, prune every bare, brown branch back to the nearest point where green growth or a healthy bud is visible. Those dead sections will not sprout new needles, and leaving them invites rot and disease into the tree. A clean cut at a fork keeps the tree healthy and lets energy flow to the parts that can actually grow.

Propping Bent Branches Back to Vertical

If deer have pushed branches sideways or down but not broken them, gather them gently and prop them back upright. Secure the bundle with burlap or bungee cords, making sure nothing wraps tightly enough to cut into the bark — that girdling effect can kill the branch by starving it of nutrients. Leave the tie in place for about a month, then check whether the branch has held its shape. If it still droops, re-tie and monitor through the winter. Remove the burlap once the branch stays upright on its own.

Nutrients That Help New Growth

Give the tree the best chance at recovery by watering during dry spells and applying a slow-release fertilizer in early spring. For arborvitae, a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants like Holly-tone works well. This is not a fix for dead wood — it is fuel for the live buds and needles to push as much new growth as the growing season allows.

If deer pressure remains high on your property, replacing Eastern arborvitae with a deer-resistant variety is the most practical long-term solution. Our roundup of the best deer repellents for arborvitae covers the sprays and barriers that actually stop the problem before it starts.

How To Keep Deer From Damaging Arborvitae Again

Prevention is the only reliable long-term strategy. Deer can stand on their hind legs to reach 10 feet up, so barriers must be tall and sealed. A fence needs to be at least 8 feet high with no gaps or open gates — deer will slip through a foot-wide opening. Physical barriers like burlap screens or corrugated drainage pipe cut to length protect the trunk from antler rubbing during the fall-to-spring buck rub season.

Organic deterrent sprays work but only if you apply them regularly. Plan on re-spraying once or twice a month, and more often after heavy rain. The most critical window is winter, when deer are hungry enough to eat almost anything. Western arborvitae varieties such as Green Giant, Steeplechase, and Spring Grove are naturally less attractive to deer and are a smarter choice for replanting in high-pressure areas.

What To Do When The Lower Trunk Is Permanently Bare

If the lower portion of the tree has no buds and no green tissue, that area is gone forever. The tree above it may still be healthy, but the bare legs are a cosmetic problem no amount of fertilizer will fix. The practical solution is to widen the planting bed and place lower-growing, deer-resistant shrubs in front of the exposed trunks — ferns, junipers, and boxwoods work well depending on your sunlight. This is faster than waiting years for sparse regrowth that never arrives.

For readers willing to experiment, there is also the option of grafting tiny shoots from healthy upper branches onto the lower dead wood, or taking cuttings at a 45-degree angle in early fall to propagate entirely new plants from fresh wood. These are more involved techniques, but they preserve the genetic line of a tree you may not want to replace.

Common Mistakes That Worsen Deer Damage

The single most common error is assuming bare branches will green up in spring. They will not, and waiting for them wastes a full growing season that could have been spent establishing a replacement or landscaping solution. The second is installing a fence that is too short — anything under 8 feet is a treat dispenser, not a barrier. The third is using burlap or bungee cords that girdle the branch, which turns a fix into a second injury by cutting off the flow of water and nutrients.

Conifers like arborvitae are also less forgiving than broadleaf evergreens such as rhododendrons and hollies. Those broadleaf shrubs can handle heavy pruning and bounce back from deer feeding; arborvitae cannot. If you are replanting in a high-deer zone, lean toward the broadleaf deer-resistant options or choose a western arborvitae variety that deer find less appetizing.

Recovery Checklist: What To Do This Weekend

• Walk the tree and identify every branch that is bare and brown — those get pruned at the nearest live fork.
• Bend branches that are still flexible back upright and tie them loosely with burlap to retrain the shape.
• Apply a slow-release fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants in early spring, and water during dry stretches.
• Measure your existing fence height; anything under 8 feet needs an extension or replacement before winter.
• If the lower trunk is bare with no buds, decide now whether you will plant a deer-resistant shrub in front or replace the whole tree with a western variety.