Deer Orchard™ Starter Pack | Zone 7

This stately deciduous Asian oak with long, jagged-edged glossy leaves produces decent crops of acorns at an earlier age than many of our native species, and often they will drop earlier in the fall as well. Acorn production only become heavier and more reliable with age. It is so prolific that there is some concern of this non-native species naturalizing, so best not planted in close proximity to ecologically sensitive sites. It requires well-drained growing conditions that tend to be acidic to neutral, and not recommended for alkaline soil or poorly-drained sites.

Informally referred to as “deer candy” by those who grow this plant as an ornamental, deer seem to love to browse on the foliage of this shrub. Over time it will produce additional stems from the roots and can create a small thicket that provides shelter for wildlife. In fall, dangling warty strawberry-like fruits turn reddish purple and burst open, displaying bright orange seeds consumed by turkeys and other birds. Northern forms tend to be naturally deciduous, but this southeastern US coastal plain form offers the advantage of being fully evergreen into at least zone 8a, offering tasty forage for deer throughout the winter, though it may be deciduous in colder areas. Best as an understory shrub in dappled shade, it prospers in dry to moist woodland conditions and can tolerate short durations of flooding.

This attractive, highly adaptable deciduous shrub provides foliage that deer will browse during the summer along with masses of purple berries along the stems which begin ripening in August and are retained on the plant after its leaves well into fall and even early winter in warmer zones, providing a late season food source for both deer and turkey. Native to much of the southeastern US, it is tolerant of full sun to medium shade, it fruits heaviest in brighter conditions. Quite drought tolerant once established and perfectly happy in any soil type from alkaline to acidic as long as the site is reasonably well-drained.

Not only do deer love Chinese chestnuts, but you will find them tasty as well. They can be eaten roasted, boiled, or sautéed. A prickly 2–3½" seed husk encloses 1-4 nuts and will yield a ripened nut crop from mid to late September all the way through October.