Is European Mountain Ash deer resistant?
Sorbus aucuparia
Deer will destroy this. Do not plant it unprotected.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About European Mountain Ash
Heavy orange berry crops that birds strip fast, on a tree deer browse hard when young. It also struggles in heat and humidity, is prone to fireblight and borers, and rarely lives long in the eastern United States. For berries and better disease resistance, a native serviceberry or a viburnum is the sounder choice.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 177 to 236 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Deer-resistant alternatives to European Mountain Ash
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If European Mountain Ash keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Colorado Blue SprucePicea pungensZones 2–7Seldom damaged
- Eastern Red CedarJuniperus virginianaZones 2–9Seldom damaged
- Eastern White PinePinus strobusZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- European White BirchBetula pendulaZones 2–7Seldom damaged
- Green AshFraxinus pennsylvanicaZones 3–9Seldom damaged
- Honey LocustGleditsia triacanthosZones 3–8Seldom damaged
Similar to European Mountain Ash
Other trees with the same deer rating.
Protecting European Mountain Ash
Deer will destroy this without protection, so the question is which kind you are willing to pay for.
- 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.
- What a deer fence costsMaterial ratios are stable even when prices are not, and installation reliably doubles the figure.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
Where European Mountain Ash 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
Browse from here
Every list European Mountain Ash belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about European Mountain Ash
- Is European Mountain Ash deer resistant?
- European Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) is rated Frequently Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer will destroy this. Do not plant it unprotected.
- What hardiness zones does European Mountain Ash grow in?
- European Mountain Ash is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does European Mountain Ash grow in shade?
- No. European Mountain Ash wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does European Mountain Ash get?
- Mature height is roughly 240–480 in. Growth rate is moderate.