My Deer Garden

Plant record · Tree

Is Norway Spruce deer resistant?

Picea abies

Norway spruce with drooping branchlets
Photo by Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Tree
Hardiness
Zones 2–7
Light
Full sun
Height
480–720 in
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
Low

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Norway Spruce

Fast, large, and the branchlets hang down in curtains on mature trees, which is the easiest identification feature. Widely used for windbreaks and it holds lower branches longer than most spruces. Cytospora canker kills lower limbs from the bottom up on older stressed trees.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5 to 7
Drainage
Average garden soil
Water
Moderate
Spacing
118 to 236 in apart
Growth rate
Fast
Maintenance
Low

Tolerances and uses

Evergreen

Similar to Norway Spruce

Other trees with the same deer rating.

Where Norway Spruce grows

Hardy across 48 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Norway Spruce

Is Norway Spruce deer resistant?
Norway Spruce (Picea abies) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Norway Spruce grow in?
Norway Spruce is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Norway Spruce grow in shade?
No. Norway Spruce wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Norway Spruce get?
Mature height is roughly 480–720 in. Growth rate is fast.

Browse from here

Every list Norway Spruce belongs to.

All trees·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants·Mast and fruit trees·Evergreen shrubs

Hardy in these zones

Zone 3·Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .