Is Eastern Redbud deer resistant?
Cercis canadensis
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Eastern Redbud
Magenta flowers appear directly on the bare branches and even the trunk, which is unusual and the reason to plant it. Heart-shaped leaves follow. Short-lived by tree standards and prone to canker, and it strongly resents root disturbance, so plant it small and leave it alone.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 118 to 177 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Similar to Eastern Redbud
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 Eastern Redbud
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 Eastern Redbud 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.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesota
- Missourinative
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansasnative
- Nebraskanative
- Iowanative
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexiconative
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 32 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Eastern Redbud belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Eastern Redbud
- Is Eastern Redbud deer resistant?
- Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Eastern Redbud grow in?
- Eastern Redbud is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Eastern Redbud grow in shade?
- Yes. Eastern Redbud tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Eastern Redbud get?
- Mature height is roughly 240–360 in. Growth rate is moderate.