Is Apple deer resistant?
Malus sp.
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Apple
Deer browse the foliage, strip low fruit and rub the trunks in autumn, so a fruiting apple in deer country needs both a trunk guard and a fence around the drip line. Most varieties also need a compatible pollinator nearby, and dwarf rootstocks put the fruit exactly at browsing height, which is worth thinking about before choosing one.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 142 to 236 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- High
Deer-resistant alternatives to Apple
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Apple keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Similar to Apple
Other trees with the same deer rating.
- Alternate-Leaved DogwoodCornus alternifoliaZones 3–7Occasionally damaged
- American PersimmonDiospyros virginianaZones 4–9Occasionally damaged
- Atlantic White CedarChamaecyparis thyoidesZones 3–9Occasionally damaged
- Atlas CedarCedrus atlanticaZones 6–9Occasionally damaged
- Bald CypressTaxodium distichumZones 4–9Occasionally damaged
- Balsam FirAbies balsameaZones 3–7Occasionally damaged
Protecting Apple
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- Protecting a young treeBrowsing costs a season. A buck rubbing a two-inch stem in October girdles it and kills it outright.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check 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.
Where Apple grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Apple belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Apple
- Is Apple deer resistant?
- Apple (Malus sp.) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Apple grow in?
- Apple is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Apple grow in shade?
- No. Apple wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- Is Apple toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Apple as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.