My Deer Garden

Plant record · Tree

Is Callery Pear deer resistant?

Pyrus calleryana

White spring blossom of Callery pear
Photo by Bruce Marlin, CC BY 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 3 of 4 · Occasionally Severely Damaged

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

Type
Tree
Hardiness
Zones 5–9
Light
Full sun
Height
360–600 in
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
High

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

About Callery Pear

Planted in enormous numbers for its spring blossom and then regretted. The branch structure is so narrow-angled that mature trees split apart in storms, and it has become one of the worst invasive trees in the eastern United States, banned in several states. Do not plant it.

Protecting Callery Pear

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.

What to plant instead of Callery Pear

Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, and rated better for deer. If Callery Pear keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5.5 to 7.5
Drainage
Average garden soil
Water
Moderate
Spacing
177 to 236 in apart
Growth rate
Fast
Maintenance
High

Where Callery Pear grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone. 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 — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. 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 — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Callery Pear

Is Callery Pear deer resistant?
Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) 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 Callery Pear grow in?
Callery Pear is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Callery Pear grow in shade?
No. Callery Pear wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Callery Pear get?
Mature height is roughly 360–600 in. Growth rate is fast.
Is Callery Pear invasive?
Callery Pear is listed as invasive or restricted in OH, PA, SC, NC, VA, MD, NJ, NY, IL, IN, MO, KY, TN. Deer leaving it alone is not a reason to plant it. Check your own state before buying.

Browse from here

Every list Callery Pear belongs to.

All trees·Sometimes destroyed·Full sun plants·Mast and fruit trees

Hardy in these zones

Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

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 .