My Deer Garden

Plant record · Tree

Is Plum deer resistant?

Prunus domestica

Purple plums on the branch
Photo by YAMAMAYA, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 4 of 4 · Frequently Severely Damaged

No. Deer will destroy this. Do not plant it unprotected.

Type
Tree
Hardiness
Zones 4–9
Light
Full sun
Height
120–240 in
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
High
Toxic to
dogs, cats, and horses

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

About Plum

Same problems as cherry: browsed foliage, stripped low fruit, and smooth young trunks that bucks rub and girdle in fall. Trunk guards for the first several years are essential. Most plums need a compatible pollinator variety nearby, so check before buying a single tree.

Protecting Plum

Deer will destroy this without protection, so the question is which kind you are willing to pay for.

  1. 1Protecting a young treeBrowsing costs a season. A buck rubbing a two-inch stem in October girdles it and kills it outright.
  2. 2How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
  3. 3What a deer fence costsMaterial ratios are stable even when prices are not, and installation reliably doubles the figure.
  4. 4Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.

What to plant instead of Plum

Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, and rated better for deer. If Plum keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Moderate
Spacing
142 to 189 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
High

Where Plum grows

Hardy across every state 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 — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — 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 — 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 Plum

Is Plum deer resistant?
Plum (Prunus domestica) is rated Frequently Severely Damaged, step 4 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer will destroy this. Do not plant it unprotected.
What hardiness zones does Plum grow in?
Plum is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Plum grow in shade?
No. Plum wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Plum get?
Mature height is roughly 120–240 in. Growth rate is moderate.
Is Plum toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Plum as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.

Browse from here

Every list Plum belongs to.

All trees·Deer favorites·Full sun plants·Mast and fruit trees

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

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 .