Is Chestnut Oak deer resistant?
Quercus prinus
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Chestnut Oak
Grows on dry rocky ridges where few other oaks manage, and the deeply ridged bark is among the most characterful of any tree. Acorns are a major wildlife food, which is part of why deer congregate under it. Very slow, and it resents root disturbance and transplanting.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 4.5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 236 to 354 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Deer-resistant alternatives to Chestnut Oak
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Chestnut Oak keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Similar to Chestnut Oak
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 Chestnut Oak
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 Chestnut Oak 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 Jerseynative
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesota
- Missourinative
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delawarenative
- West Virginia
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 19 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Chestnut Oak belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Chestnut Oak
- Is Chestnut Oak deer resistant?
- Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Chestnut Oak grow in?
- Chestnut Oak is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Chestnut Oak grow in shade?
- No. Chestnut Oak wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Chestnut Oak get?
- Mature height is roughly 720–960 in. Growth rate is slow.
- Is Chestnut Oak toxic to dogs or cats?
- Not to dogs or cats — the ASPCA lists Chestnut Oak as toxic to horses only. Worth knowing if you keep any; the ASPCA does not list it as a risk to dogs or cats.