Crabapple trees, whether ornamental or fruit-producing, are highly attractive targets for deer. The tree’s palatability is the primary reason for this attention, especially when other food sources are scarce. Understanding a deer’s preferences and how they interact with the tree is the first step in successful protection. Without protection, crabapples can sustain significant damage from browsing and antler rubbing.
Deer Preference for Crabapple Consumption
Deer are opportunistic browsers with a strong preference for high-energy, nutrient-dense foods, making the crabapple tree appealing. The fruit, known as soft mast, holds the highest appeal, offering a concentrated source of sugar and carbohydrates. Deer readily consume fallen crabapples, often prioritizing them over other available food sources in the autumn.
Beyond the fruit, deer browse on the woody parts of the tree, showing a clear hierarchy of preference. Tender new growth, buds, and thin twigs are sought after because they contain higher levels of protein and are easier to digest than older wood. This browsing intensifies in late winter and early spring when other vegetation is dormant or covered by snow, forcing deer to rely on woody browse for survival.
The leaves are also consumed during the growing season, but this behavior rarely causes long-term damage to a mature tree. Bark is typically the lowest-preference food source, consumed only when the deer population is high and nutritional stress is severe. In these harsh conditions, deer may strip bark from the trunk, which can weaken or kill the tree by girdling.
Distinguishing Types of Deer Damage
Damage to crabapple trees falls into two distinct categories: browsing and rubbing, caused by different behaviors and occurring during different seasons. Browsing is a feeding behavior involving the consumption of leaves, buds, and twigs, and it is most common year-round, peaking in winter. Since deer lack upper incisors, they must grasp and tear the plant material, leaving the damaged twigs with a jagged or shredded appearance.
Browsing typically occurs on branches up to six feet from the ground, which is the maximum height a deer can comfortably reach. This damage is different from the clean, angled cut left by rabbits or other small rodents, which have sharply aligned incisors. If the damage is consistently torn and occurs above two feet, it is highly likely to be the result of deer browsing.
Rubbing damage is a non-feeding behavior caused by bucks scraping their antlers against the trunk and lower branches during the late summer and fall breeding season, known as the rut. Bucks rub to remove the velvet covering from their antlers and to mark their territory, leaving behind vertical scrapes and shredded bark. This damage can be devastating to young crabapple trees, as it can completely strip the bark around the circumference of the trunk, a process called girdling.
Girdling interrupts the flow of nutrients and water between the roots and the leaves, often leading to the death of the tree. Rubbing damage is most often found on smaller, flexible saplings with a stem diameter of one to three inches. While browsing affects the tree’s shape and growth potential, rubbing poses an immediate, lethal threat, demanding protective action.
Effective Methods for Tree Protection
The most reliable strategy for protecting crabapple trees involves physical barriers, which prevent access to the vulnerable parts of the tree. For individual young trees, a sturdy, cylindrical wire mesh enclosure is highly effective. This cage should be constructed from galvanized wire, extend at least five to six feet high to block browsing, and have a diameter wide enough to allow for several years of growth.
To prevent antler rubbing damage, especially during the autumn rut, the trunk must be shielded with a dedicated barrier. Plastic tree wraps, spiral wraps, or rigid plastic tree tubes installed up to a height of about four feet will shield the bark from scrapes. These wraps must be checked annually and adjusted or removed as the trunk expands to prevent girdling the growing tree.
When multiple trees or a larger area must be protected, a perimeter fence is the most permanent solution, though it requires significant height. A deer fence must be at least eight feet tall because deer are capable of jumping over anything shorter. Alternatively, applying repellents can deter deer by making the tree either taste bad or smell alarming.
Repellents are a short-term solution and should be applied early, before deer establish a feeding habit. They must be reapplied frequently, especially after rainfall or new growth, to maintain effectiveness. Rotating between different types of repellents, such as taste-based contact sprays and scent-based area deterrents, can prevent deer from becoming accustomed to a single product.