Shrubs for dry ground? Possibly Shade tolerant

[tynimiller]

What first came to my mind was American Plum, Witch Hazel, ninebark and hawthorns. I've also seen Strawberry bush succeed, black willow and of course some evergreen types.

 

[Telemark]

What first came to my mind was American Plum, Witch Hazel, ninebark and hawthorns. I've also seen Strawberry bush succeed, black willow and of course some evergreen types.

Thanks, I will try those. What kind of evergreens are best for deer in zone 4?

 

[bigboreblr]

White cedar, but needs to be caged. They'll eat it to death. White pine will survive without caging. Red cedar too.

Thinking about a longer range spot at camp where we just keep trimming the trees to brush height. Likely add red dogwood and nine ark too never played with 9 before.

 

[Angus 1895]

Lilac seems to like the dry ground I got quite well.

The dogwoods I have planted are not drought tolerant……will not get any more.

 

[Telemark]

Do deer eat lilac?

 

[rocksnstumps]

Most garden centers list lilacs as deer resistant but some small critters like squirrels will strip the branches. If you want them to be planted as bonus food probably look elsewhere. As starvation food I bet most anything is fair game to try at least once.

 

[Mortenson]

Do deer eat lilac?

I have not seen that they do.

 

[bwoods11]

Plum have done well for me in Sandy soil in Zone 4.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Everything is so situational. I have crossed planting more plums off the list. Sandy loam zone 4 but on a hill. They don't croak but grow like molasses moves in the winter.

https://movie-sounds.org/western-mo...-molasses-in-wintertime-or-i-drop-that-hammer

 

[Telemark]

Do deer eat the plum fruits themselves? The main area I want to plant should not have any mast trees for deer, but there is another spot that would benefit greatly from soft mast shrubs and small trees.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Yes they will eat them, and the bush itself. I had planted a bunch last spring, I am not speaking from experience, only from research.

 

[Lucky_P]

Around here, they'll keep most mulberries reduced to a stemmy shrub unless you cage them. Every once in a while, one branch will assume dominance and shoot upward, but a rutting buck will soon beat most of those back into shrubby submission.

 

[Native Hunter]

Around here, they'll keep most mulberries reduced to a stemmy shrub unless you cage them. Every once in a while, one branch will assume dominance and shoot upward, but a rutting buck will soon beat most of those back into shrubby submission.

I found this one growing inside my son's barn. It was getting just enough light to stay alive. The deer were afraid to go inside the barn to browse it. I transplanted it to a good spot and will topwork it to an Illinois Everbearing in a couple of years.

 

[chummer]

I plant three shrubs that handle dry ground. Silky dogwood, ninebark, and hazelnut. Deer heavily brows the first two but don’t touch the hazelnut to often. The hazelnut are a hybrid from SNL and have grown awesome. Not sure if they still offer them. They have been loaded with nuts after year 3.