Top Five Shrubs For Deer

[@devouring2772]

Putting in the work this year. Done put a waterhole in. Cleared off for a food plot. Putting mock scraps up planting blackberry and rasberry bushes. Have 100 dappled willows coming in april. Plan on putting them in bedding areas. Really cant wait to see trail cam pics. Also have persimmon trees ill be putting in on my food plot for the future. Putting the work in.

[@Nick-tr6qg]

I work as an ecologist in IL, when we plant trees/shubs we try to cage 3\4 of our plantings to help them survive. Helpful tip, if you plant in the fall (if possible, most of us are hunting) it cuts down on stress and watering and dramatically increase tree\shrub survival. Best of luck everyone

[@aaronc1942]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us! My old man just bought 80 acres in northeast Nebraska and he's got all sorts of crazy ideas. I'll try to use what I've learned here to help guide him, but I wouldn't be surprised if the fine folks at WHS get a call from us in a few years. Take care

[@tedrickabus2087]

Been there Jeff. 15 years ago I planted 500 white pine by hand. Deer ate them off at the snow level the first winter. Raspberries have been great. After we select cut our land, to produce brush piles for cover and reduce the shade from the canopy to get undergrowth, raspberries started filling in the sunny areas on their own due to dormant seeds in the seed bank in the soil.

[@alanruechel2240]

An invasive shrub you dont want on a property is japanese barberry. I've seen it so bad it became a living fence, roughly 40 acres worth. All game trails heading toward it did abrupt 90 degree turns away. And if you decided to walk through it (which I did) you were bloodied and picked thorns for days to come.

[@mannurse7421]

I hate that stupid thorny purple plant. It’s all over my woods makes it impossible to get anywhere. It’s weird firework habit makes it hard to chop down too when it’s big enough.

[@cloudchaser2180]

My deer eat the red berries in the late fall into winter. Just to be sure it’s the same bush, it has a yellow stem under the bark, right?

[@alanruechel2240]

@@cloudchaser2180 yes, plant is tasty to animals, but the thorns !

[@cloudchaser2180]

@@alanruechel2240 Yeah, I agree. The thorns are not your normal thorn. It’s almost like a sting. I was cutting them down until I saw the deer eating them next to my food plot.

[@isaacowens629]

Good morning, and thanks for the great info! I was thumbing through the Ernst Seed catalog and noticed that they show ROD has a full sun requirement. I've had trouble getting the cuttings I planted a couple years ago to grow in a shady area. The catalog shows silky dogwood as moderate shade, and grey dogwood as full shade. Might not be as attractive for browsing, but still a great cover and berry provider if shade is an issue. Have you had any experience with either of those types? Thanks again for doing what you do. Had you out to my property about 5 years ago, and am extremely happy to say that we've had great success since then. Very rarely saw any over 2.5 before implementing your plan, but since then I took my best buck ever for three years in a row, and missed another this year with my bow, all 3.5s or better. Many other close encounters, and have seen a drastic change in trail cam pics - typically 80-90% daytime buck pics. I apologize for the long post, but wanted to let you know we appreciate you! Hope to have you out again someday. Take care!

[@PutEmInTheBox]

Where do you find this shade tolerant red osier dogwood?

[@isaacowens629]

@@PutEmInTheBox sorry for the ridiculously late reply, I didn't see a comment notification. Red Osier Dogwood isn't shade tolerant, but it's relatives Grey Dogwood and Silky Dogwood appear to be. Ernst seed catalog has some detail on the two, and you can buy from them - or just find some growning now and make some cuttings. Go for the shoots of last year's growth off the bush. A quick internet picture search will show you the differences between the three types of Dogwood, and I'll bet once you see that you'll notice the other types all over the place. Good luck!

[@outdoorztime2923]

Very good topic to cover, Jeff. We should never underestimate the power of shrubs. I harvested my first buck this season feeding on a Beautyberry Bush. It was 11:50 am, and I was headed back to my truck. At first, I thought a bird flew from a limb when I saw the movement, but a closer look made my day. :)

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

So cool Terry!! And so true to they are very powerful

[@bruceroznowski9661]

Great Info, as always. Can't wait to put our plan together with you, on your April MI trip. Owning this new 80 is a dream come true.

[@johnmcmahon1196]

Hi Jeff! I hunted some rod on state land in muzzleloader season when I took a brand new deer hunter with me and we saw a 120 class 8 point that night feeding on it! We got to watch it for over a half hour but he never got a shot he was comfortable with! I’m gonna get some cuttings to plant at a property I can hunt!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

That is awesome John!! I know on public land a stand of ROD can be a mid to late season deer magnet!

[@mark7116]

Does red osier dogwood only grow in damp or swampy areas?

[@garymiller3104]

Love the vids Jeff thx for all your time and input been looking to plant honeysuckle and berry bushes this season just didn’t know if one was better than the other put a few raspberries in last season thx so much keep it up . From sw pa here

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot Gary!! As long as thr honeysuckle is native...I would consider either. The berry bushes can generally take more browse tho...and thr honeysuckle can take more shade. So maybe let the site dictate which one? Really appreciate you watching!

[@poplardeer]

Great points on invasive species, especially buckthorn. Once you give up the ghost of achieving complete eradication, it becomes another tool or resource to manage on the property. Buckthorn is the one species I spray more often than not, but I use the tops as cages for the more desirable shrubs I want to grow in their place. Unless neighbors from as far away as a bird flies eradicate theirs too, it'll be a never ending fight. Better just to figure out ways to use it.

[@northwoodsnelson3852]

Planted 300+ willow and poplar from BRT around my house last spring, great growth in one season can’t wait to see what they do this year !

[@tvandee]

Where did you order from

[@paulsell2438]

Working on opening some bedding pockets on higher ground within my swampy area this off season. I'll be planting some red osier dogwood within the debris piles as a way to protect them while they establish. Hoping to have some quality browse within these enhanced bedding areas. Thanks for all the continued quality content...keeps me on track to meet my management goals.

[@kevinleary5244]

Perfect timing! I just left a comment the other day about what are best shrubs for the northeast. Everything online seems to be based more on southern zones

[@mattali4163]

I agree with the autumn olives, it’s here to stay- and the wildlife LOVE it. Just learn how to manage it

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Amen to that Matt..anage is key...it can be very powerful.

[@whitetailhabitatandhunting]

Thanks Jeff! Can't wait to plant ROD, trees, and switch this year! Going to be great! Especially with your guidance throughput the year!!!

[@markfox6574]

Brown nose

[@toddshippee7162]

In England they plant autumn olive next to oak tree as the autumn olive is a nitrogen fixer and significantly speeds growth of the oak

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

The key is learning how to manage it...there are many quality uses for it where native species won't grow due to overbrowsing

[@toddshippee7162]

Additionally if buckthorn is managed, it holds leaves later than most trees, make thick understory and hinges nice, and gives a lot of BTUs as firewood

[@ala5831]

Got 50 red osier coming in April. Plan on propagating some.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Nice...make sure to cage them/protect them all!

[@underdogoutdoors]

In Maryland, near the Chesapeake bay and tributaries, we have something called "smilax rotundifolia" (not sure of the spelling??) it grows all over in the woods, like a briar with thorns, but deer eat it, it has berries too. I noticed every big buck I've taken there in the past 10 years (11 bucks) were in areas full of this type of vine/briar.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

I've seen that out there!! AND there were bug bucks on the land...really big

[@dalemetcalf339]

If I'm not mistaken and I might be smilax is the scientific name for green briar , im in western nc and my woods are full of it. Deer definitely browse it .

[@bch5513]

@@dalemetcalf339 my land is absolutely full of it. It can be a bear and is so tough you can rip boots and clothes in it. They eat it if immature 100%.

[@Mossy-back-blacktail]

We have blackberry walls wrapping around our canyon some of them reach up over 15 ft walls.

[@jimpeterson3806]

Found a nice patch of Redosier dogwood on some public land the other day. You're right, the smaller diameter red portion of the stems are very pliable and taste a bit like a granny smith apple. The deer have most of the bushes browsed down but there are a few young and tender ones around. Plenty of deer traffic going through the dogwood bushes. Along with a nice beech tree which just so happens to be a perfect setup for a stand this fall 😉

[@naomicreech9870]

I’m so excited to try and propagate our dogwood.. I’m a gardener at heart. What about weeping Willow? They grow so quickly. I would love to plant a few on the border of my 5 acre field, for esthetics…

[@bowman8316]

Curly willow is pretty too, and grows just as easy from cuttingd

[@charlesschauberger6700]

There are a lot of willow species on which deer will browse. They are under-appreciated as a food source but recognized for providing necessary cover. There isn't a lot written on the subject, but I think they will grow in popularity with time.

[@bobbuist6790]

Jeff thanks for covering the shrubs. We did a corridor plan on our farm with the Michigan DNR 20+ years ago and one of the shrubs they recommended at the time was Autumn Olive. That shrub creates some of the best bear bait in addition to rabbits. The autumn olives are now moving into the woods because of the gypsy moth infestation. Your comment that they don't survive in a forest gives me hope that they won't expand too heavily.

[@bucksniper65]

Strawberry bush is another great one. The deer here in Tn love it. If you plant any you have to cage them to keep the deer from stripping them.

[@jackhuffman2268]

Another great video with an amazing amount of top quality info!! I'm in North Central Texas and am planting ROD in and around several potential bedding areas on my 43 acre place this year. I though that it was a shrub only found up in your neck of the woods until I found it growing in a creek bottom on the property. We have taken cuttings and are rooting them indoors for transplant in about 4-6 weeks. I would have never considered raspberry bushes but will give them a look as well. We have been considering honey suckle as a complement to these shrubs along with several other Native shrubs. Thanks for the content and insight!!! If it were not for you I would have never considered planting any type of shrubs, cutting bedding areas and so many other things that I have gleaned from your videos.

[@dmouse522]

Wow! I just decided recently to root more Diervilla (bush honeysuckle). Shade tolerant, lots of low buds to recover from browsing. Good option for me.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Have fun D!! I wanted to tell you I haven't been looking yet...but found my first shed over the weekend 😊 from a nice, known 3 year old

[@whitetailhabitatandhunting]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Nice!

[@rossrogalski6813]

Do you have some thoughts on the following shrub plants? 1) Raspberries - Wild Type vs. Cultivated?, 1-crop vs. "ever-bearing"? In the every-bearing group would be some historical varieties such as "Autum Bliss". This type produces one crop of berries on last years cane starting in mid-June, a second somewhat lighter crop begins mid-September and continues until first hard-frost on the current year cane growth. 2) 3-Leaf or "Fragrant Sumac" (sometimes called "stink-bush"). Produces small purple berries in the fall (mostly small bird food. Does it have any deer-habitat value? 3) Elderberry? 4) Golden Current? 5) Mulberry? (can become invasive if not managed?) Some dwarf-types are available. Any experiences with these types of bushes / shrubs? Thoughts? Thanks.

[@BlanchardsBees]

Propagating some red osier dogwood right now for my 4 acre plot

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

We’ve been waiting on this topic for a while! Thanks a lot for continuing to share your knowledge with us! Definitely going to be implementing your strategies this year!!

[@jasonblair6693]

What is a good shrub for middle georiga. I looked up the red osier. Says its more Northern bush

[@billmadden1508]

Hello with the red osiers are you planting them were you are able to hunt over them or just as a food source and side cover..Thanks

[@theflatlanderchannel]

Awesome video, it's great watching your tips in various things. I got a question though, would mountain Laurel bushes be good side cover in the woods or bedding areas?

[@scienceaddict77]

Thanks for the video Jeff, now I can plan an attack for all that autumn olive on our property. I'm planning on eventually putting in a coppice for fuelwood and conservation of ash and possibly American chestnut, how would you recommend limiting browse damage in the areas that are fresh cut every year? Would food nearby distract deer?

[@scienceaddict77]

NE Ohio if that matters.

[@adkbowhunter5140]

I’m stratification on 60 american plum seeds. It’s going to take a couple years of nurturing, but am excited to see the results

[@adkbowhunter5140]

That should be stratifying, not whatever auto correct did to me……

[@jerradmitchell3329]

Jeff, will red osier grow in hedgerows? Thinking of options to add cover and food in my KS hedgerows.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

It sure will!! Need to make sure it is in a somewhat damp area or has heavy soils...

[@adamh.492]

Jeff, are Hybrid Willow as browse tolerant as Silky Willow?

[@big_rock_trees]

Hybrid Willow get browsed on by deer while the silky willow typically doesn't

[@thomaschambers5711]

Great video. Could you do a video on poison plants and vines? I got poison something really bad last summer- think it was poison sumac bush? Not sure what the difference between poison and non poison sumac bush… can’t find a good video either on it

[@mediconthefly2]

Here in western Nc the way I can most easily tell the difference between poison sumac and non-poison sumac is that in the summer the poison variety has very shiny leaves and the non-poison variety has a matte or flat non shiny leaf. Your mileage may vary since that info may only apply to my location.

[@docksman001]

Thanks for the great information, what are your thoughts on elderberry bushes ? I have many and they seem easy to propagate. Thanks Jeff

[@LarryHeeter]

What do you think about privet ?

[@ericungetheim6403]

Have any of you planted river cane? I have a creek bottoms that flood 2 or 3 times a year.

[@loisbuttray2937]

So the old field starts to grow up and turns into pole timber. Should we clear cut it and let it return to old field growth?

[@nathaniellarson8]

Thank you for addressing buckthorn. It looks like I am in for a battle, I suppose maybe more like a war. I am stubborn and will keep trying until I die, lol. Who knows, maybe I will become the leading expert on buckthorn removal and help eradicate the plant from this continent? Baby steps...

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Ha...I like that attitude Nate 😊

[@stephenkendall6108]

What are your thoughts on selective coppicing AO? To encourage new stem generation for food source for deer?

[@rickbohning4231]

In your video, you *speak* about "silky dogwood". But your text on the whiteboard seems to be indicating "silky willow". Those are two distinct native plants. Which one is the one you like? Thanks

[@genehartzler9152]

Thx Jeff. Love ROD. What do you think of green brier? SW PA is covered with it.

[@aw4088]

Green brier is a very good browse species.

[@donaldgsell1663]

Hey Jeff in new jersey we have mountain laurel. Plants. That the deer love to bed under them. Do you have them were you live. ?

[@bucksbucksoutdooradventure4973]

Jeff what do you think about winter holly

[@ThirdLawPair]

what about American beautyberry and winterberry?

[@exotictones1054]

I have two olive type trees in my front yard n have had them for years n last year the deer started eating them right off the trees n any that fall on the ground.but the squerills have been eating them right off the tree before they fall for years.

[@CoachMPB]

How long should a ROD seedling be caged if planted in April?

[@23DanielVincent]

Jeff, how shade tolerant are these shrubs?

[@jasonmeyer4587]

Hi Jeff Do you hunt rabbits and pheasants on your land? Any concerns about spooking deer hunting other species?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hi Jason...not regularly! We won't hunt pheasants until we grow the population and even then just in our home area of about 10 acres out of 245. If and when we hunt rabbits it is well after the season is over. Otherwise I wouldn't hunt either and generally just like having them both on the land. More Coyote food too 😉 it's easy to have a lot of pheasants and rabbits on good deer lands...often with just very minor tweaks.

[@SheldonDanley]

How do you feel about spice bush?

[@cloudchaser2180]

Has anyone tried cutting trees off at knee height for new growth shoots? If so what tree and size did you try or have success with.

[@toddbaer8634]

I've been cutting tulip popular like this to get more sun to the forest floor and the shoot really sprout for 2 to 3 years.... deer love it. Just what I have seen

[@shanedowns4928]

I know several state forest areas in southern Michigan that the mature hardwoods has so much autumn olive growing that you can barely walk through it. I would advise everyone to remove any they find on their property and never plant it on purpose. I've also seen a couple open meadows that were so overrun with autumn olive that it was imposable to walk through and the ground was 100% dirt under the bushes. NO VEGETATION, other than autumn olive, what so ever in what was once a lush 300+ acre meadow with lots of bunnies, deer and turkey.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hi Shane...that is extremely rare. AO needs full sun to survive for more than a few years. Also, AO can EASILY be managed for wildlife use. Seen it on literally hundreds of lands in at least 15-18 states. Many landowners would be extremely foolish and/or misled to completely remove it unless done so with a plan to replace it with something close to equal. Just the facts...

[@jjnatte9996]

I got lots ao on my property and it is awesome! I have more rabbits an deer that live on my property because it offers so much cover an deer love berries so offers

[@NeedsMoreToys]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I am overrun with AO. I would never plant it on purpose. Nasty stuff. I see no evidence of deer browse on AO. It makes great side cover. Partridge love it. Birds and deer eat the berries. Deer will bed in it if it has pockets or paths to get through. I am trying to live with it and rip out sections if it gets too thick. It doesn’t die in filtered shade (it does in dense shade) by me in Michigan but usually it is small single stems in partial shade. Clear cuts with a shaded layer of AO will explode with AO bushes when the sun hits it. I spend a lot of time managing it that could be used on something else. Anyway I appreciate your perspective on it and trying to make it work for me

[@travisethridge4062]

Thanks for great Whitetail deer content

[@jonathangerwitz1429]

Are you sure that deer don't eat silky dogwood? I have seen multiple places that say they do. Are silky willow and silky dogwood the same thing?

[@capt.shaffer8655]

What about multifloral rose?

[@mediconthefly2]

I’d also like to see this discussed. I’m overrun with it and barberry and wondering if it’s like buckthorn and I’ll be fighting this battle the rest of my life. Also wouldn’t mind hearing a discussion on kudzu.

[@Treeplanter73]

What about tag alder?

[@VentureNorthEast]

Any opinion on American plum?

[@PAKraig]

Thanks Jeff. Is it possible to spread raspberry/blackberry seeds in a sunny area or is it necessary to plant actual plants?

[@patrunkel5821]

Bury the ends , let them take root ,then cut apart , an transfer to new locations

[@bowman8316]

Great info ! Ty 🦌

[@bucksbucksoutdooradventure4973]

I hunt around a lot of rose hips, this year they had a mass crop and I shot a bear and my buck off the rose hips

[@johntaylor4695]

Jeff what are your thoughts on prickly ash? I have quite a bit of that within my hardwoods in southern Michigan property.

[@BillVerbeten]

I’m also dealing with prickly ash in central WI, John. It’s a native, but it can form nasty thickets. The approach I’m taking is to open paths through it by cutting and spraying with Triclopyr and utilize some of it for side cover. It sprouts more stems from rhizomes after mowing so be prepared for that. Long term I’d like to replace it with other shrubs, but I have other more limiting factors currently so I think of it like Jeff is thinking of autumn olive. I’m going to focus more on switchgrass screenings, cutting access lanes, adding a long thin food plot, and a water tank or two along with mock scrapes first. Also I’ll be removing the Japanese barberry under dead oaks and replacing it with red osier dogwood before I try to go after the prickly ash.

[@johntaylor4695]

@@BillVerbeten thanks for the insight Bill.

[@beaulyons5554]

Questions- 1-I burnt my field like 9/10 years ago to clean it up to plant, by the end of that summer I had a bush come up I’ve never seen and I thought it would be great cover so I left it, I just found out it’s scotch broom and it’s apparently a terrible plant to have. It now has consumed several acres of land. Should I manage it or get after killing it? 2- 3/4 of my ranch was leveled by a massive forest fire in Washington state. My home and shop made it but the property is bad. Is there anything different you would recommend for planting after a massive forest fire other than the dogwoods, cedars, aspens, spruce, chestnut, apples etc you talk about. 3- sorry so long, do tree tubes scare deer, or do they become use to them while you’re trying to establish new trees

[@ala5831]

Where I live tree tubes attract deer. Pa.

[@beaulyons5554]

@@ala5831 crazy. Thank you for your input. I’ve never used them before, most trees I’ve planted have been in my garden or by the house fences in from the wildlife.

[@georgehelzer7569]

How long would you recommend to keep the osier caged?

[@big_rock_trees]

First two growing season if possible to allow them to establish

[@johncholin943]

Jeff, What about burning bush? There are some growing wild down at the end of my road here and the deer seem to browse it aggressively but it keeps on popping up. Once they grow up some they seem to make a dense shrubby plant that provides good side cover. Would these be worth planting out on my place in PA? I am getting so much good info from your videos! Thanks! JMC

[@ala5831]

Please don’t plant any more invasive burning bush in Pa. We have enough already

[@jeremyfoss505]

OMG. Buckthorn......We are over run with the stuff! Especially hard, when you are a crew of 1! :(

[@redman4bills]

I'm out here eating this red osier dogwood and believe I overdosed. Damn that's some good stuff! Thanks Jeff 😋

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Haha...tasty tasty 😊

[@redman4bills]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 PSA for the next video that Mr. Redman had his fill 😂🤞 proceed with caution.

[@JackFrostTheDeerHunter]

I have an infestation of wild rose bushes on part of my property so thick you can't walk through it...great pollinator but.....leave it or kill it?

[@glee181]

Seems like there are a few folks subscribing to Jeff's videos. Looking for best prices on plot seed. Anyone with a source that works for them? (Located in WI).

[@Pwrcritter]

Autumn olive and honeysuckle took over our old pasture field.

[@jonathangerwitz1429]

I'm pretty sure half my property is red osier dogwood. Autumn olive is invasive and not allowed here in western New York.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Autumn Olive is not allowed in most places, but unfortunately is one of the best shrubs for wildlife currently growing on lands in many states.

[@SnowmanR72]

100% they chew down red osier dogwood, this year they ate my cedar bush as high as they can reach too, (Sask, been a tough winter)

[@JT.Gilbert]

How many rabbit huts for an 80 acre parcel?

[@linthicum75]

Great video

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Tha k you very much...I truly hope that it helps!

[@Lonewolve1988]

Autumn Olive is invasive here in Pennsylvania, the turkeys love the berries, and I have eaten the berries and they were good . But I am starting to hack and squirt the Autumn Olive because it is literally out of hand

[@TA-qx3lz]

Thank you!

[@tidecoys]

Autumn olive has taken over the farm I hunt in IL. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. I bought a farm in MO and I kill it every time I see a plant. I’d rather plant something else, hinge for side cover, etc. Nothing grows under them and I’ve never seen them get shaded out and die. It is good cover for wildlife, but it can get so thick a deer can pass within bow range and literally see it and it disappears in that crap.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

It's great to replace over time if you can...but not if you don't offer a quality alternative for the wildlife on your land. It easily gets shaded out. Not saying it is the case with you...but I see a lot of "Autumn Olive" that is actually shade tolerant invasive honeysuckle. Clients will point out Autumn olive that us actually honeysuckle often. Invasive honeysuckle has a hollow branch...Autumn Olive does not. Just for folks that want to know for sure. AO does not tolerate dense shade, at all. Here is an article by Penn State University on AO...has some great facts about the good and bad of AO. Always have a plan for an appropriate replacement for AO for the wildlife on the land. I agave seen many major blinders where folks have removed AO, destroyed wildlife populations and then worked dor years with no success for a variety of reasons to find a suitable replacement. Replacing a portion of invasives at a time is most appropriate and responsible for all parties...including the wildlife.

[@tidecoys]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I love your channel. I appreciate all of the good information. We must have the honey suckle bc it is shade tolerant and the ground is bare under their canopy. It is cover, but that’s it. I’d rather plant other shrubs that provide cover and food.

[@tidecoys]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I wasn’t aware there was olive and honeysuckle. We definitely have honeysuckle bc it’s shade tolerant and hollow. It breaks easily. I’d still prefer not to have autumn olive on my place. There’s so many more shrub options in MO.

[@wyattgardner3552]

For those looking to remove invasive species, check out any EQIP program.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Unfortunately many hurt their land and wildlife if they do...I would exercise great caution when enrolling in any government program...state or feds. Not only do they not have the experience to know better in general whether they are doing more harm than good, but the long term effects on the habitat and wildlife can be very costly to the landowner....not to mention the wildlife.

[@charlesschauberger6700]

You will get a lot of people mentioning other shrubs not included on your list. I'll start by mentioning elderberry.

[@Blitz4688]

Thanks Jeff, Great Info. Would you cage the Red Osier or is a tree tube sufficient? Surprising info on Silky Dogwood not being browsed by Deer as it won "The Final Forage" put on by UF & MSU Deer Lab's. Summary on the Mossy Oak website.

[@marksommer873]

Just in case just not answer, here is my two cents. Tree tubes, as the name states, are meant for a "tree" which have a single stem (in general, especially at ground level). Red osier is multi-stemmed and a tube will confine it too much. Maybe the first year you can get away with a tube, but those stems really need a place to grow. I tube my cuttings, and then cage the ones that are surviving end of growing season. If I bought a potted plant, I'd likely just start with a cage.

[@imjustadude]

Destroy autumn olive by any means possible. It's such an invasive species and will take over a property in no time.

[@carsonschulz6498]

Did you mean to say silky DOGWOOD doesn’t get browsed by deer? Knowing your partners and projects, I think you meant to say silky WILLOW (big rock trees plug). Silky dogwood is similar to RO dogwood and I’ve had to cage it or it’s eaten to death. This year I’m doing silky dogwood, American plum and nine bark surrounding a chestnut in each bedding pocket - all in one cage. Shrubs should grow out to be browsed on and the chestnut should give good early season mast in my switch pockets 5-6yrs down the line.

[@chrismccann6538]

Agree I have both on my property. Deer do prefer the red osier but they will hit the silky also. They are very similar, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. Osier has a white pith, silky has a salmon/ light brown pith.

[@njdoc12341]

Invasive autumn olive ? U know what’s invasive asphalt houses and illegal immigration and autumn olive smells better in spring I have it I love it

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Way better 😂 So true... incredible smells!

[@zr20s]

Autumn olive is #1. Quit hatin'

[@donald6427]

Oh boy

[@josephcioni5293]

Less is more! Definitely plant 20 correctly versus 500 that you can't manage!

[@3rdGeorgesheets]

If I buy silkys my deer will find a phone and call me asking about when I'm coming to plant. Shit gets destroyed day 2 hahaha

[@Jay-hu1pc]

.