Is Norway Maple deer resistant?
Acer platanoides
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Norway Maple
Planted heavily as a street tree and now invasive across the northeast and midwest, seeding into woodland where its dense shade and shallow roots stop native seedlings establishing. Banned in several states. Nothing will grow beneath it, including grass.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Average garden soil
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 236 to 354 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Deer-resistant alternatives to Norway Maple
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Norway Maple keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Similar to Norway Maple
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 Norway Maple
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 Norway Maple 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 Norway Maple belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Norway Maple
- Is Norway Maple deer resistant?
- Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Norway Maple grow in?
- Norway Maple is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Norway Maple grow in shade?
- No. Norway Maple wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Norway Maple get?
- Mature height is roughly 480–600 in. Growth rate is fast.
- Is Norway Maple invasive?
- Norway Maple is listed as invasive or restricted in MA, NH, CT, NY, PA, NJ, VT, ME, RI, WI, OR. Deer leaving it alone is not a reason to plant it. Check your own state before buying.