My Deer Garden

Plant record · Tree

Is Alternate-Leaved Dogwood deer resistant?

Cornus alternifolia

Tiered horizontal branching of pagoda dogwood
Photo, Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 3 of 4 · Occasionally Severely Damaged

Partly. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.

Type
Tree
Hardiness
Zones 3–7
Light
Full shade to part shade
Height
180–300 in
Bloom
Spring and Summer
Maintenance
Low
Native range
30 US states

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Alternate-Leaved Dogwood

The only dogwood with alternate rather than opposite leaves, which is where the name comes from and the quickest way to identify it. Strongly tiered horizontal branching gives it the common name pagoda dogwood. Wants cool moist woodland shade and dislikes heat, drought and exposed sites.

Protecting Alternate-Leaved Dogwood

Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so decide on the options before it gets browsed rather than after.

  1. 1Protecting a young treeBrowsing costs a season. A buck rubbing a two-inch stem in October girdles it and kills it outright.
  2. 2How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
  3. 3Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
  4. 4Check it is actually deerDeer tear and leave a ragged stub. A clean 45-degree cut is rabbits, and slug holes get blamed on deer constantly.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5 to 6.5
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
177 to 236 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Low

Where Alternate-Leaved Dogwood grows

Hardy across 48 states on zone range alone, and native to 29 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Alternate-Leaved Dogwood

Is Alternate-Leaved Dogwood deer resistant?
Alternate-Leaved Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged, step 3 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
What hardiness zones does Alternate-Leaved Dogwood grow in?
Alternate-Leaved Dogwood is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Alternate-Leaved Dogwood grow in shade?
Yes. Alternate-Leaved Dogwood tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Alternate-Leaved Dogwood get?
Mature height is roughly 180–300 in. Growth rate is moderate.

Browse from here

Every list Alternate-Leaved Dogwood belongs to.

All trees·Sometimes destroyed·Shade plants·Mast and fruit trees

Hardy in these zones

Zone 3·Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .