Chinese Privet

[Hunter 257W]

Is all privet Chinese privet? Are there native varieties also? Reason I ask is that I never heard the name "privet" until I came to this website a little over a year ago. We have had what looks to be the same plant on the farm since it was bought back in 1948. We just call it "hedge". Since deer numbers have gotten so high in recent years, every where you look the tips of the branches have been nibbled off. This is true even right beside a 4 acre field of WI Alfa Rack, so the deer do like the stuff. My food plots are never eaten down by Spring but the deer never stop eating this "privet".

 

[Quailman]

Would like to hear some thoughts, keep it or cut it.

Skilletcreek, the best advice I can give you is to eradicate any and all privet you find on your property. Having worked with hundreds of landowner in the last 15 years, I would never recommned keeping privet on your property just to have an available, low-quality food source for deer. As I'm sure you know, Chinese privet (along with others), is a highly invasive species that is one of the most difficult plants we work with on a daily basis when trying to manage for wildlife.

If a landowner has to rely on privet and other non-native species to provide food for deer, I would recommend they start making efforts to improve the quantity and quality of native plants to provide food and cover for wildlife.

As nwsg76 mentioned, we have both NRCS and TWRA biologists available across TN to provide technical and financial assistance to landowners wanting to manage for wildlife. Just let us know and we'll be glad to help.

 

[skilletcreek]

I have been in discussions with TWRA, NRCS for about a month and they have outlined a plan for me which eradicating privet is a part of. Actually meeting with them again today, they have been very helpful.

Primary goal is to improve the quail and deer habitat. I think we are on the right track just got to do the heavy lifting now.

They were very aggressive to get rid of the privet I was just seeking other opinions since I see the deer eating it all the time.

 

[timberjack86]

My 8 acres are covered up in this stuff.

 

[catman529]

What's up with privet being bad for quail? The coveys I have seen were all in or near privet infested fence rows. Mainly CRP fields bordered by privet, and the quail often were in the hedges.

 

[skilletcreek]

Catman- I am no expert but my understanding is that it is a low quality food source with very little nutritional value. It does provide good cover for quail and deer but is very invasive like kudzu and spreads quickly. It chokes out better native plants that would have greater nutritional value and which also provides good cover.

 

[BSK]

I really don't know about protein or digestibility but deer just plain love a poke'salit and to be perfectly honest, if all my big fields were totally lined with poke it would be a blessing.

Poke is one the highest quality natural food sources available for deer in late summer.

 

[Quailman]

What's up with privet being bad for quail? The coveys I have seen were all in or near privet infested fence rows. Mainly CRP fields bordered by privet, and the quail often were in the hedges.

Catman, quail definitely require thick woody cover, especially at this time of year. Over-winter mortality (especially from avian predators) is a big problem for quail and other small game wildife. So if you have thick woody cover, quail are generally going to use these areas no matter what woody plants are present. I pretty much get the same question from landowners about why fescue is bad when people may find quail in these areas from time to time. My answer is always the same - if it's the only cover available, quail WILL HAVE to use these areas. They don't have a choice.

However, privet (as mentioned before) is highly invasive and very low-quality in terms of food resources. Also, privet is occupying space that could be utilized by native plants that are much more beneficial. The berries are mainly used by birds, which is one of the main reasons that privet can spread rapidly to other areas. The birds eat the berries and then deposit them in other places where they germinate and perpetuate the problem.

 

[Quailman]

Catman- I am no expert but my understanding is that it is a low quality food source with very little nutritional value. It does provide good cover for quail and deer but is very invasive like kudzu and spreads quickly. It chokes out better native plants that would have greater nutritional value and which also provides good cover.

You are exactly right!

 

[catman529]

Thanks for the info Quailman.