My Deer Garden

Plant record · Tree

Is Red Maple deer resistant?

Acer rubrum

Red maple foliage in autumn colour
Photo by Gilles Ayotte, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Tree
Hardiness
Zones 2–9
Light
Part shade
Height
480–1440 in
Bloom
Spring and Winter
Maintenance
Low
Native range
35 US states
Toxic to
horses

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

About Red Maple

Fall color varies enormously between seedlings, from dull yellow to brilliant scarlet, so buy a named cultivar in leaf if color matters to you. It tolerates wet ground better than most maples but is sensitive to road salt and to alkaline soil, where it goes chlorotic.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5 to 6.5
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
236 to 354 in apart
Growth rate
Fast
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Red Maple

Other trees with the same deer rating.

Where Red Maple grows

Hardy across every state on zone range alone, and native to 35 of them. 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Red Maple

Is Red Maple deer resistant?
Red Maple (Acer rubrum) 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 Red Maple grow in?
Red Maple is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Red Maple grow in shade?
Yes. Red Maple tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Red Maple get?
Mature height is roughly 480–1440 in. Growth rate is fast.
Is Red Maple toxic to dogs or cats?
Not to dogs or cats — the ASPCA lists Red Maple as toxic to horses only. The ASPCA does not list it as a risk to dogs or cats.

Browse from here

Every list Red Maple belongs to.

All trees·Seldom damaged·Part shade plants·Mast and fruit trees

Hardy in these zones

Zone 3·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 .