Is Yellow Birch deer resistant?
Betula alleghaniensis
Plant typeTreeHardinessZones 3–7LightPart shade
Mature height840–960 in
BloomSpringMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range24 US states
About Yellow Birch
Bronze-gold peeling bark and twigs that smell of wintergreen when scratched, which is the quickest field identification. The longest-lived native birch and more borer-resistant than the white-barked species, but it wants cool moist ground and dislikes heat.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 236 to 354 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Yellow Birch
Other trees with the same deer rating.
- Allegheny ServiceberryAmelanchier laevisZones 4–8Seldom damaged
- American PlumPrunus americanaZones 3–9Seldom damaged
- Austrian PinePinus nigraZones 4–7Seldom damaged
- Chinese Fringe TreeChionanthus retususZones 5–9Seldom damaged
- Chinese Paper BirchBetula albosinensisZones 5–7Seldom damaged
- ChokecherryPrunus virginianaZones 2–6Seldom damaged
Where Yellow Birch grows
Hardy across most of these 48 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesotanative
- Missouri
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshirenative
- Vermontnative
- Mainenative
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delaware
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowanative
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 24 US states in total.
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Every list Yellow Birch belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Yellow Birch
- Is Yellow Birch deer resistant?
- Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Yellow Birch grow in?
- Yellow Birch is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Yellow Birch grow in shade?
- Yes. Yellow Birch tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Yellow Birch get?
- Mature height is roughly 840–960 in. Growth rate is slow.