My Deer Garden

Plant record · Tree

Is Carolina Hemlock deer resistant?

Tsuga caroliniana

Fine dark foliage of Carolina hemlock
Photo by Crusier, CC BY-SA 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 6–7
Light
Part shade
Height
360–840 in
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
Moderate
Native range
6 US states

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

About Carolina Hemlock

More tolerant of city air and drought than eastern hemlock, with a denser and more formal habit. It is still vulnerable to hemlock woolly adelgid, which has devastated wild hemlock stands and requires ongoing treatment to manage. Needs cool moist soil and shelter from wind.

Protecting Carolina Hemlock

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 Carolina Hemlock

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

Soil and care

Soil pH
5 to 6.5
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
94 to 142 in apart
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Moderate

Tolerances and uses

Evergreen

Where Carolina Hemlock grows

Hardy across 43 states on zone range alone, and native to 6 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 — not 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 — not 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — not 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 — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — not 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 — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — not hardy here. 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 Carolina Hemlock

Is Carolina Hemlock deer resistant?
Carolina Hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana) 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 Carolina Hemlock grow in?
Carolina Hemlock is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Carolina Hemlock grow in shade?
Yes. Carolina Hemlock tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Carolina Hemlock get?
Mature height is roughly 360–840 in. Growth rate is slow.

Browse from here

Every list Carolina Hemlock belongs to.

All trees·Sometimes destroyed·Part shade plants·Mast and fruit trees·Evergreen shrubs

Hardy in these zones

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 .