Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Friday - March 29, 2013

From: Highland, MD
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Deer Resistant, Shade Tolerant, Trees
Title: Deer resistant, shade tolerant trees for part shade in Highland MD
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Deer resistant privacy trees for partial shady area in Highland, MD.

ANSWER:

The first problem with your request is the "deer-resistant" stipulation. We have a list of deer-resistant plants; please read this disclaimer paragraph from the top of the list:

"Deer Resistant Species

Few plants are completely deer resistant. Several factors influence deer browsing including the density of the deer population, environmental conditions such as drought, and plant palatability. Deer tend to avoid plants with aromatic foliage, tough leathery and/or hairy or prickly leaves or plants with milky latex or sap. Try using some of the plants listed here to minimize deer damage to your landscape."

Further complicating this problem is the fact that there are only 346 plants on that list, and that constitutes the deer-resistant plants for North America, including Canada but not including Mexico. By the time we sort that list down to not only Maryland, but Howard County, there will be very few choices. First, we will go to our list of Deer Resistant Species and then, using the Sidebar on the right-hand side of that page, we will select on Maryland for the state, "tree" for the Habit, and "part shade" for Light Requirements. Caution: You will need to read the whole webpage on each plant; some of the indicators will be "Highly Resistant" under deer resistance, some will only be "Moderately Resistant."

There were 8 results for this search:

Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud)

Celtis laevigata (Sugar hackberry)

Crataegus viridis (Green hawthorn)

Juniperus virginiana (Eastern red cedar)

Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)

Populus deltoides (Eastern cottonwood)

Ptelea trifoliata (Wafer ash)

Taxodium distichum (Bald cypress)

Next, try going to our Native Plant Database. Using the Combination Search midway down that page, search on Maryland, tree, and part shade,  We have eliminated the  "deer resistant," but you can still read each webpage to find out the various characteristics of that particular plant. Again, these will be plants that will grow natively in Maryland.

 

From the Image Gallery


Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis

Sugar hackberry
Celtis laevigata

Green hawthorn
Crataegus viridis

Eastern red cedar
Juniperus virginiana

American sycamore
Platanus occidentalis

Eastern cottonwood
Populus deltoides

Wafer ash
Ptelea trifoliata

Bald cypress
Taxodium distichum

More Trees Questions

Transplanting Trees in OH
May 10, 2012 - Is the middle of May too late to dig out Arborviteas and spruces to transplant? I live in central Ohio.
view the full question and answer

Tree that successfully treats psoriasis
January 31, 2009 - Dear Mr. Smarty plants,I have a rather unusual question. Do you know of a tree/plant that you can grow in a container, looks like a conifer/evergreen, is green, has wispy looking branches, but when t...
view the full question and answer

Removing grass under oak trees in Pflugerville TX
August 30, 2009 - I would like to use the newspaper-and-mulch method to smother grass under the canopy of live oaks, a bur oak, and a lacey oak so that I can plant natives that will thrive there. However, I'm concern...
view the full question and answer

Need help with a 50 ft Tulip Tree with storm damage in Brownsburg, IN.
June 30, 2010 - I have a 50 ft Tulip tree that suffered storm damage. One for the main branches split at the top fork and fell. It has left about 6 ft of exposed wood but there are still a couple of main branches in...
view the full question and answer

Native Texas Hill Country nitrogen-fixing plants
June 07, 2006 - Please help me find a listing of native (TX Hill Country) nitrogen-fixing plants.
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.