My Deer Garden

Plant record · Tree

Is White Spruce deer resistant?

Picea glauca

White spruce foliage and habit
Photo by dmcdevit, CC BY-SA 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Tree
Hardiness
Zones 2–6
Light
Full sun
Height
480–720 in
Bloom
Spring and Summer
Maintenance
Low
Native range
18 US states

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

About White Spruce

Tougher in cold and wind than Colorado spruce and less prone to disease, which makes it the better northern windbreak. The crushed needles have a distinctly unpleasant smell, hence the old name skunk spruce. Struggles in heat and humidity south of zone 6.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5 to 7
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Moderate
Spacing
118 to 177 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Low

Tolerances and uses

Evergreen

Similar to White Spruce

Other trees with the same deer rating.

Where White Spruce grows

Hardy across 41 states on zone range alone, and native to 18 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 — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — native, and hardy. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — native, and hardy. 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 — 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 — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — native, and hardy. 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 — 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — native, and hardy. 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 — native, and hardy. 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — native, and hardy. 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 White Spruce

Is White Spruce deer resistant?
White Spruce (Picea glauca) 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 White Spruce grow in?
White Spruce is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 6. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does White Spruce grow in shade?
No. White Spruce wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does White Spruce get?
Mature height is roughly 480–720 in. Growth rate is moderate.

Browse from here

Every list White 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

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 .