Growing for Groundhogs

Hopefully you’re not waking up today in a Bill-Murray-style cyclical nightmare of the day before, but if you are, then you’ll be happy to know that this week, we’re helping you to kick the groundhog blues. With Punxsutawney Phil acting as the commanding officer of our Solstice/Equinox crossover, farmers, gardeners, horticulturists, and the seasonally-depressed alike, all eagerly await the emergence of the chunky brown mammal and his lack of a shadow signifying the early arrival of spring. Unfortunately, groundhogs tend to get a bad wrap in our industry, known for destroying carefully planned installations and decimating a plethora of plant material. In an effort to boost your knowledge, and dare we say, appreciation, of groundhogs, this week we’ll be exploring the tunnels and burrows of these sordid critters.

Groundhogs, the largest members of the squirrel family and native only to North America, are also known as ground pigs, woodchucks, whistlepigs, whistlers, land beavers, moonacks… the list goes on. Many of these common names are often thought to belong to individual animals, when in fact, they describe the same rodent. It derives the name “woodchuck” from its Algonquin roots, “wuchak”. While known to create elaborate, labyrinthine underground burrows from 30’-60’ long, complete with separate “outhouse” and “hibernation” chambers, groundhogs are also capable of scrambling up trees in order to escape predators. It is also during moments of predatory threat that they are known to communicate with and warn each other through a series of high-pitched, whistle-like intonations, inspiring the names “whistlepig” and “whistlers”. At this time of the year, our groundhog buddies are nestled deep within their hibernation chambers, and will likely begin their emergence sometime within March – right at the time that the green industry begins making serious moves for the season.

As one of the most common and widespread agricultural “pests” in North America, it seems that any attempt to irradicate them from our landscapes is futile. Perhaps its best that we embrace their presence – after all, they do hold a pivotal role in the ecological health of our local habitats. Despite favoring the fruits and flowers grown for human consumption and enjoyment, groundhogs have natural distractions and deterrents that can be considered for planting around production or installation spaces. Cultivated crops, fruit trees, and ornamental flowers including but not limited to soybeans, peas, carrots, lettuce, pears, cherries, apples, berry bushes, sunflowers, marigolds, asters, and a variety of others are known to be groundhog delicacies. However, by planting forage crops such as alfalfa, dandelion, clover, sorrel, and quick-growing ferns such as Matteuccia struthiopteris (Ostrich fern) in a groundhog-friendly area, it may cut down the activity of woodchuck-browse within agricultural crops or production sites during the primary growing season. Groundhogs are capable of foraging up to 1.5 pounds of plant material during the warm season, making them somewhat of a nuisance species within agricultural communities overrun with thriving populations. While groundhogs are generalists in terms of their habitat preferences and typically inhabit woodland meadow and roadside edges, they are most often associated with suburban and human-disturbed areas. However annoying they may seem, they’re an important food source for owls, coyotes, hawks, and other predatory species. The burrows that they excavate serve both as year-round dwellings, as well as prime squatter’s residences for other wildlife to take refuge in if abandoned. Rabbits, Eastern chipmunks, various snakes, birds, and even raccoons are known to take shelter in vacant groundhog burrows. If you’re working to create a biodiverse habitat or naturalistic landscape, it is likely that you’re unafraid of inviting some groundhogs to your garden party. Nitpicky customers, however, might not be so forgiving when their expensive technical installations and carefully chosen ornamentals are bulldozed to the ground. Besides the aforementioned cover crop suggestions to help deter groundhog activity, here is a list of some other groundhog-resistant selections that are either unpalatable, too odorous, or straight up toxic, perhaps providing border control protection of sensitive crops:

                Thymus sp. | thyme

                Salvia sp. | sage

                Allium sp. | chives/ornamental onion

                Lavandula sp. | lavender

                Helleborus | hellebore

                Achillea millefolium | yarrow

                Asclepias tuberosa | butterfly weed

                Sedum sp. | stonecrop

                Coreopsis verticillata | threadleaf tickseed

                Rudbeckia sp. | brown/black-eyed Susan

                Delphinium sp. | larkspur

                Foeniculum vulgare | fennel

                Dianthus sp. | pinks

                Digitalis sp. | foxglove

                Iris sp. | iris

                Paeonia sp. | peony

                Stachys byzantina | lamb’s ears

                Perovskia atriplicifolia | Russian sage

                Nepeta sp. | catmint

                Amsonia tabernaemontana | bluestar

                Heuchera americana | coral bells

                Ceratostigma plumbaginoides | leadwort

                Tanacetum vulgare | tansy

                Astilbe sp. | astilbe

                Dicentra spectabilis | Common bleeding heart

                Dicentra eximia | Wild bleeding heart

                Polystichum acrostichoides | Christmas fern

                Dennstaedtia punctilobula | hay-scented fern

                Cyrtomium falcatum | Japanese holly fern

                Matteuccia struthiopteris | Ostrich fern

                Osmunda regalis | Royal fern

                Dryopteris marginalis | Wood fern

                Ilex crenata | Japanese holly

                Comptonia peregrine | sweetfern

                Rhus typhina | staghorn sumac

                Aconitum sp. | monkshood

                Galium odoratum | sweet woodruff

                Chelone sp. | turtlehead

                Crocosmia sp. | montbretia

                Kniphofia sp. | red hot poker

Other deterrents, such as animal urine or blood, can be used as topical garden applications in the event that the groundhog population is rather small. Thoughtfully placed physical restraints such as adequate fencing can significantly cut down on groundhog disturbance, reducing the need for trapping or other removal methods. In the meantime, adding some hearty, undesirable greenery and flowers to inhibit groundhog takeovers and also beautify the landscape is hands down the best way to encourage healthy ecosystems and gardens alike. Make sure to check out our available groundhog-resistant selections for your next project or design, all listed on our website with current or future quantities.

Facts about groundhogs | Live Science

E361: Ecology and Management of the Groundhog (Marmota monax) (Rutgers NJAES)

Groundhog Facts, Pictures & Information: Woodchuck / Marmota monax (activewild.com)

E361: Ecology and Management of the Groundhog (Marmota monax) (Rutgers NJAES)

Cornell Cooperative Extension | Groundhog Resistant Plants (ccecolumbiagreene.org)

The Role of Groundhogs in Ecosystem Engineering - Wildlife Informer

7 Things Groundhogs Like To Eat Most (Diet, Care & Feeding Tips) (atshq.org)

Groundhog | Size, Diet, Groundhog Day, & Facts | Britannica

See all our Perennials