Homeowner shares fun photos of furry yard visitor climbing tree: 'Amazing to watch'

A homeowner has a new friend in their backyard.

A Redditor moved into their new home and discovered the underground tunnels of another resident — a groundhog.

They decided to let the curious little critter stay and shared photos of the creature climbing a tree to r/NativePlantGardening.

"Controversial in my area, but we support our backyard groundhog 'Bruce'. He is a native and thrives on pokeweed and mulberry," they wrote, adding they believe he has been living at the home for years and that they have no intention of changing that.

Groundhogs build elaborate underground dens, made up of several tunnels and chambers. Sometimes, their tunnels can get too close to structures, like a deck, shed, or patio, and cause damage.

While typically considered a backyard nuisance since the holes can appear in visible places at times, groundhogs are otherwise harmless and can help aerate the soil and eat invasive weeds. Their burrows also shelter other animals, like rabbits.

A native plant lawn is a great place to call home. Native plant lawns and gardens are blooming, biodiverse habitats that can attract all sorts of critters, like deer, foxes, and birds. This Redditor's wild yard has done a fantastic job in supporting local wildlife, and Bruce the groundhog is proof of that.

Rewilding your yard can even save you time and money. Traditional grass lawns require a lot of maintenance, like mowing, watering, and weeding. Native plant lawns are easy — they're adapted to survive and thrive in their zones, so you'll spend less time on yard work.

Homeowners in the comments shared stories of their own backyard groundhogs.

"Glad you're sharing your land with this critter. There are so few places nature can go without annoying humans," one user wrote.

If you have a lawn, what aspect of it do you value most? The way it looks 🤩 The way my family uses it 👪 It's enjoyable to mow 😎 It's cheap to maintain 💰 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"We have a truce with our groundhog," another commenter said. "She eats the Japanese knotweed behind the fence."

"Love it," a third Redditor said. "I didn't know anybody else had a groundhog that liked to climb their mulberry tree. They're hilarious and amazing to watch all at the same time."

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