Deer Orchard™ Starter Pack | Zone 6

An old reliable member of the red oak group that produces reliable mast, it also grows and matures rather fast compared with most other oaks. Tolerant of a variety of soil conditions as long as it doesn’t stay wet too long, it is a great choice for deer and turkey plots. Full sun to part-day sun suit it well, though brightest conditions will result in heavier acorn crops.

A wide-ranging tree that is adaptable to a diverse array of habitats, from the baking hot, dry limestone “Hill Country” of central Texas to moist floodplain margins in central Florida, while also enduring the cold winters in the northern extent of its range from Iowa to southern New England. Over time it will produce shoots from the roots, forming a colony of trunks that provide valuable cover for wildlife. The orange fruit which can range up to the size of a small plum, begin ripening in fall and are often retained on the tree after leaf drop well into December in southern latitudes. Note that this species has separate male and female plants, so to ensure fruit production multiple plants of our unsexed saplings should be sited near each other to increase the chances that both sexes will be present.

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.

Of hybrid origin, Kieffer Pear has harder fruits than Bartlett but the deer happily consume them with no problem. This selection is more resistant to fire blight and therefore a better choice over the earlier- fruiting Bartlett Pear in areas that experience warm, wet spring weather, especially in humid areas along the gulf coast where the disease can be an issue. Self-fertile but enjoy an even more reliable pollination/fruit set by planting another pear selection nearby, such as the later-fruiting Dr. Deer Pear that we offer for an extended season of sweet deer treats.

A very special selection that will be of great interest for wildlife food plots due to its later-than-typical fruiting. Discovered and trialed by Dr. James Kroll (aka “Dr. Deer”) from Stephen F. Austin State University it is invaluable for providing late fall fruit when little else is available. Large clusters of small fruit characterize this selection. Self-fertile but increased fruit set is likely with the presence of another pear cultivar nearby, and can be combined with our other earlier-fruiting selections to have a long season of fruit availability.