Burning Bush Bark Damage: Rabbit or Deer? Recovery Steps

A gardener returned from winter in Florida to find bark stripped from the base of her burning bush (Euonymus alatus) and low branch tips eaten.

Diagnosis

Rabbit or vole damage. They gnaw bark at snow level (or ground level) in winter. Deer browse higher (tips above 18–24").

Assessment & Action

• Check the cambium: Scratch the bark above/below the damage. Green = alive; brown/dry = dead.
• If green: Do not paint, wrap, or seal. Let it heal naturally. Water during dry spells. Mulch 2–3" (keep off trunk).
• If girdled (bark removed all around): The stem above will die. Cut back to live tissue.
• Wait until May: If no leaf-out by late May, the plant is dead. Replace.

Prevention for Next Winter

• Hardware cloth cylinder (1/4" mesh) 24–30" tall around trunk, buried 2".
• Repellents (rotate types): Plantskydd, Bobbex, or homemade egg/garlic spray.
• Remove brush piles near shrubs—habitat for voles/rabbits.

Burning bush is tough. If the roots are alive, it often resprouts from the base.