Is Balsam Fir deer resistant?
Abies balsamea
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Balsam Fir
The classic Christmas tree scent comes from this species, and the resin blisters on young bark are the source of Canada balsam. It needs cool moist acid conditions and declines quickly south of about zone 6. Deer browse it heavily in winter where snow limits other forage.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 6
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 118 to 177 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Tolerances and uses
- Evergreen
Similar to Balsam Fir
Other trees with the same deer rating.
- Alternate-Leaved DogwoodCornus alternifoliaZones 3–7Occasionally damaged
- American PersimmonDiospyros virginianaZones 4–9Occasionally damaged
- AppleMalus sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Atlantic White CedarChamaecyparis thyoidesZones 3–9Occasionally damaged
- Atlas CedarCedrus atlanticaZones 6–9Occasionally damaged
- Bald CypressTaxodium distichumZones 4–9Occasionally damaged
Protecting Balsam Fir
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 Balsam Fir grows
Hardy across most of these 48 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinois
- Minnesotanative
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshirenative
- Vermontnative
- Mainenative
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delaware
- West Virginianative
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowanative
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 18 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Balsam Fir belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Balsam Fir
- Is Balsam Fir deer resistant?
- Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Balsam Fir grow in?
- Balsam Fir is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Balsam Fir grow in shade?
- Yes. Balsam Fir tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Balsam Fir get?
- Mature height is roughly 480–840 in. Growth rate is slow.