Deer Resistant Woody Plants for Maryland Reforestation Projects

ESA, Inc. has designed, installed, provided construction oversight and monitored the long term performance of numerous wetland mitigation and reforestation projects. This Œappliedı ecological knowledge has allowed us to adjust planting schemes when we observe intensive deer pressures on an area that is slated for restoration.

When performing afforestation, reforestation or wetland mitigation in areas of heavy deer browse, the following woody species are recognized as being deer-resistant. A resistant plant is the one that may be nibbled on but not devoured, or sampled once but not regularly browsed, or possibly eaten when preferred foods are in short supply. Over time however, deer may acquire a taste for so-called starvation foods when they are in excess of their carrying capacity. Therefore, there is no such thing as deer-proof plants.

We hope that our research may be helpful as you design your project. The trees and shrubs identified in the following list are indigenous to Maryland. We have further refined the species by identifying whether the plant is endemic to Marylandıs coastal plain, piedmont or throughout the State, because a species natural range or local occurrence is also an important consideration for the long term success of a mitigation site. The list is derived from our observations and an extensive literature review of deer resistant native species.

Deer Resistant Species

Botanical Name	Common Name	Wetland Status	Physiographic Province
Trees:
Acer spp.	Maple	- - -	- - -
Betula spp.	Birch	- - -	- - -
Carpinus caroliniana	Ironwood	FAC	throughout
Carya spp.	Hickory	- - -	- - -
Fagus grandifolia	Beech	FACU	throughout
Fraxinus spp.	Ash	- - -	- - -
Ilex opaca	American Holly	FACU	throughout
Juniperus virginiana	Red Cedar	FACU	throughout
Liquidambar styraciflua	Sweetgum	FAC	coastal plain
Liriodendron tulipifera	Tulip Poplar	FACU	throughout
Magnolia spp.	Magnolia	- - -	- - -
Ostrya virginiana	Hornbeam	FACU	piedmont
Oxydendrun arboreum	Sourwood	FACU	piedmont
Platanus occidentalis	Sycamore	FACU	throughout
Pinus strobus	White Pine	FACU	piedmont
Quercus spp.	Oak	- - -	- - -
Robinia pseudoacacia	Black Locust	FACU	throughout
Salix nigra	Black Willow	FACU	throughout
Sassafras albidum	Sassafras	FACU	throughout
Tsuga canadensis	Hemlock	FACU	piedmont

Shrubs:
Alnus spp.	Alder	- - -	- - -
Amelanchier canadensis	Serviceberry	FAC	throughout
Aronia arbutifolia	Red chokeberry	FACW	throughout
Aronia melanocarpa	Black chokeberry	FACW	- - -
Cornus spp.	Dogwood	- - -	- - -
Corylus americana	Hazelnut	FACU	throughout
Gaylussacia spp.	Huckleberry	- - -	throughout
Hamamelis virginiana	Witch Hazel	FAC	throughout
Kalmia latifolia	Mountian Laurel	FACW	throughout
Leucothoe racemosa	Fetterbush	FACW	coastal plain
Lindera benzoin	Spicebush	FACW	throughout
Rhododendron spp.	Rhododendron	- - -	throughout
Rhus spp.	Sumac	- - -	- - -
Sambucus canadensis	Elderberry	FACW	throughout
Spiraea alba	Meadowsweet	FACW	coastal plain
Spiraea tomentosa	Steeplebush	FACW	coastal plain
Vaccinium corymbosum	Highbush blueberry	FACW	throughout
Viburnum spp.	Viburnum	- - -	- - -