what shrubs are very attractive for deer browse.

[willy]

I'm renewing my continuous crp and with the practice I'm doing, I will get to plant 4 rows of shrubs. I think elderberry and wild plum are bombproof but does anyone have a shrub that they would tout as deer candy in a shrub?
(This is in southeast NE)

Thanks for pondering and especially if you have some suggestions.

 

[bwoods11]

Dogwood ?

 

[OakSeeds]

Two of the best....

Euonymus americanus .... strawberry bush aka hearts-a- busting ... relatively small shrub that often is referred to as deer candy. needs full sun
Hostas ... Once described in this way ..."To a deer, these are fresh-caught Maine lobster served with melted Irish butter. They will scarf down every one they see, even when not offered a suitable wine pairing."
... advantage - will grow in shade . You might try ... Madame Wu hosta ... can reach 5-6 ft in height ... cage it to achieve full growth, release at start of bow season, let them eat most of it ... then re-cage to protect root ball; in spring, it will come back and start growth over for next year / if you find they are too hard on it one year, skip giving them access the following year and let the plant recover.

 

[willy]

Thanks 11 and Seeds, Dogwoods are a definite possibility. I have loads of grey dogwoods on the property. I wondered about silky. I experimented with red osier and it would qualify as candy as they ate it to death, I have a relatively high deer density

The strawberry bush intrigues me. I will have to research that. Whatever I plant will have to be more or less indigenous to this region to be accepted. I get neighboring states leeway a bit so that helps.

Hostas sound like a great deer browse but I know the nrcs won't let that fly. Plus this will be in full sun so they probably wouldn't do so well.

 

[Telemark]

Willows
Beautyberry
Ninebark
Apples
Viburnum
Sumac
Blueberry

 

[Teeder]

They always seem to be nibbling on the wild blackberry, silky dogwood, and elderberries at my place.
Of everything they eat, blueberries are the only thing they leave alone in my yard.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Hazelnut provides cover and food. Browse preference probably isn't as high as some of the others, but it is worth looking into, especially if you don't already have some around.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I added arrowwood viburnum and highbush cranberry to an order for this spring to be planted along with the ROD due to people here saying good things about them.

 

[PatinPA]

Two of the best....

Euonymus americanus .... strawberry bush aka hearts-a- busting ... relatively small shrub that often is referred to as deer candy. needs full sun
Hostas ... Once described in this way ..."To a deer, these are fresh-caught Maine lobster served with melted Irish butter. They will scarf down every one they see, even when not offered a suitable wine pairing."
... advantage - will grow in shade . You might try ... Madame Wu hosta ... can reach 5-6 ft in height ... cage it to achieve full growth, release at start of bow season, let them eat most of it ... then re-cage to protect root ball; in spring, it will come back and start growth over for next year / if you find they are too hard on it one year, skip giving them access the following year and let the plant recover.

Hostas? Never heard that before. I might try that.

 

[Telemark]

Hostas? Never heard that before. I might try that.

Oh man, I remember my grandmother complained for decades about the deer eating her hostas.

 

[Teeder]

Oh man, I remember my grandmother complained for decades about the deer eating her hostas.

Our chickens wiped ours out.

 

[PatinPA]

Oh man, I remember my grandmother complained for decades about the deer eating her hostas.

Damn, I had a bunch at my old house I wanted to get rid of. Never even thought about transplanting them to the hunting property.

 

[Telemark]

Damn, I had a bunch at my old house I wanted to get rid of. Never even thought about transplanting them to the hunting property.

I think it's as easy as digging them up in the winter and replanting them in the new location.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I am not sure if Choke Cherry grows in your area, but deer seem to push my cages in, to grab a bite where they can.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

deer love eating red osier dogwood and they grow well in both uplands as well as wet soil.

 

[jsasker007]

I'm renewing my continuous crp and with the practice I'm doing, I will get to plant 4 rows of shrubs. I think elderberry and wild plum are bombproof but does anyone have a shrub that they would tout as deer candy in a shrub?
(This is in southeast NE)

Thanks for pondering and especially if you have some suggestions.

Pretty much anything that I try to grow in my yard must be on this list. Blueberries,plums,apples,pears. They absolutely love hostas

 

[willy]

Thanks everybody for your suggestions. I greatly appreciate it. I planted a bunch of plum, red osier dogwood, choke cherry, and hazelnut in a 3 acre tree/shrub planting 2.75 years ago on a farm about 5 miles from this farm. They are surviving but not thriving yet. The soil is good but semi drought conditions probably haven't helped. It has a low deer density and they haven't really impacted them.

These following shrubs I'm going to research and see if they would be a good fit and have a chance to be okayed by the gov/nrcs biologist. Thanks for these suggestions. The brief research I've done shows they grow in a couple of the surrounding states or are perhaps native to my area of NE.
Beautyberry
Ninebark
Arrowwood Viburnum
Highbush cranberry

If any others come to mind by anybody, please share. I got one shot at this and want to make sure I get it right.

 

[Brian662]

I think it's as easy as digging them up in the winter and replanting them in the new location.

My wife splits the hostas in our yard in spring and fall. They are one tough plant, they never die off.

 

[Turkey Creek]

The deer will hammer hostas, but I don't think they are an approved shrub with the Gov't and they would be costly to plant.

 

[BuckSutherland]

Thanks everybody for your suggestions. I greatly appreciate it. I planted a bunch of plum, red osier dogwood, choke cherry, and hazelnut in a 3 acre tree/shrub planting 2.75 years ago on a farm about 5 miles from this farm. They are surviving but not thriving yet. The soil is good but semi drought conditions probably haven't helped. It has a low deer density and they haven't really impacted them.

These following shrubs I'm going to research and see if they would be a good fit and have a chance to be okayed by the gov/nrcs biologist. Thanks for these suggestions. The brief research I've done shows they grow in a couple of the surrounding states or are perhaps native to my area of NE.
Beautyberry
Ninebark
Arrowwood Viburnum
Highbush cranberry

If any others come to mind by anybody, please share. I got one shot at this and want to make sure I get it right.

Whatever you decide to plant I couldn't possibly recommend more that you put down a 4x4 fabric mat to smoother and kill the weed competition and some mulch to greatly increase your moisture retention. Dont go cheap on the fabric. Buy some nice heavy duty stuff.