Is European Beech deer resistant?
Fagus sylvatica
Plant typeTreeHardinessZones 4–7LightPart shade
Mature height600–720 in
BloomSpringMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About European Beech
Smooth grey bark, dense shade, and it clips into the best deciduous hedge there is, holding brown leaves through winter. The shade is so dense that almost nothing grows beneath it.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 7
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 236 to 354 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to European Beech
Other trees with the same deer rating.
- Allegheny ServiceberryAmelanchier laevisZones 4–8Seldom damaged
- American PlumPrunus americanaZones 3–9Seldom damaged
- Austrian PinePinus nigraZones 4–7Seldom damaged
- Chinese Fringe TreeChionanthus retususZones 5–9Seldom damaged
- Chinese Paper BirchBetula albosinensisZones 5–7Seldom damaged
- ChokecherryPrunus virginianaZones 2–6Seldom damaged
Where European Beech 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.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
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Every list European Beech belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about European Beech
- Is European Beech deer resistant?
- European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does European Beech grow in?
- European Beech is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does European Beech grow in shade?
- Yes. European Beech tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does European Beech get?
- Mature height is roughly 600–720 in. Growth rate is slow.
- Is European Beech toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists European Beech as toxic to dogs and cats. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.