Is Sweet Cherry deer resistant?
Prunus avium
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Sweet Cherry
Most sweet cherry varieties need a compatible pollinator, and the crop splits if heavy rain arrives as the fruit ripens. Birds take what deer leave, so netting matters. Prune only in dry summer weather to avoid silver leaf and bacterial canker, and guard the trunk against buck rub.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 177 to 236 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- High
Similar to Sweet Cherry
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 Sweet Cherry
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 Sweet Cherry grows
Hardy across most of these 50 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
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- 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 Sweet Cherry belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Sweet Cherry
- Is Sweet Cherry deer resistant?
- Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Sweet Cherry grow in?
- Sweet Cherry is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Sweet Cherry grow in shade?
- No. Sweet Cherry wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- Is Sweet Cherry toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Sweet Cherry 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.