THIRD CHOICE — Plants eaten as a last resort. texas parks and wildlife Common Browse Plants Utilized by White-Tailed Deer in South-Central Texas White-tailed deer eat the leaves, twigs, seeds, and fruit of a wide variety of plant material. They choose vegetation based on palatability, seasonal availability, vegetation abundance, precipitation, Western Soapberry Yaupon Blackjack Oak and overall health of the habitat. When deer browse, they tend to Sapindus saponaria Ilex vomitoria Quercus marilandica select the most tender growth first, usually the twig tips and new tree to 15m; long alternate leaves; shrub or tree; small evergreen leaves; small tree to 10m; broadly-lobed stiff leaves. When forbs are abundant, the deer’s diet may be primarily gray twigs; shiny red berries in fall leaves with bristle at tip; leaf veins gray to red bark may break into forbs for that time period. By observing which plants deer are eating reddish scales; yellow grape-like and winter conspicuous; acorns ripen in 2 years berries in fall on your property, it is possible to get a better feel for deer population and overall health of your habitat. This brochure is intended to help landowners identify vegetation that white-tailed deer prefer. FIRST CHOICE — Plants eaten whenever found by deer, regardless of season. Coralberry Eastern Red Cedar Hercules Club/Prickly Ash Symphoricarpos orbiculatus Juniperus virginiana Zanthoxylum clava-hercules small shrub with shreddy reddish evergreen tree; reddish-brown bark rounded shrub or small tree; also bark; leaves opposite; coral red to flakes off in strips; reddish-brown called toothache tree; reddish thorns pink berries in fall twigs; bluish berries and leaf stems; opposite leaves Alabama Supplejack/Rattan Vine American Beautyberry Bois d’arc Berchemia scandens Callicarpa americana Maclura pomifera green vine; small leaves with shrub; opposite deiciduous leaves; medium-sized tree; also yellowish- parallel-veins evident below; slender orange/brown to gray bark; purple green fleshy fruit on female tree; branching stems; blue-purple fruit berries in clusters around stem in fall stems have milky sap Honey Mesquite Laurel Greenbriar Peppervine Prosopis glandulosa Smilax laurifolia Ampelopsis arborea shrub or tree; twigs with 2 inch long vine; strong prickles; evergreen leaves vine; clusters of 5 leaflets; leaves thorns; yellow summer blooms; seeds leathery green to yellow green above shiny green with raised veins above, in flat bean pods lighter green and hairy below; reddish stems at joints; black berry Bristle Greenbriar Cedar Elm Deciduous Holly Smilax hispida Ulmus crassifolia Ilex decidua vine; green bark with numerous tree; leaves with serrated edges small tree; twig tips eaten by deer Photos courtesy Pauline Singleton, Mary Ann Schubert and TPWD staff. black needle-like prickles; leaves and prominent veins below; brown anytime; small tree; deciduous In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available at the shiny green above, paler below slender twigs, bark sometimes with spatulate leaves; light gray to white Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries. © 2009 TPWD PWD BR W7000-1222 (10/09) flattened ridges; winged seeds bark; red berries ripen in fall SECOND CHOICE — Plants selected when first choice is unavailable. Hawthorn species Netleaf Hackberry Poison Ivy Water Oak Bumelia Dewberry species Crataegus spp. Celtis laevigata Rhus toxicodendron Quercus nigra Bumelia lanuginosa Rubus spp. small tree; many species; twigs tree; gray bark with conspicuous can be small shrub or hairy- large tree; also called a “turkey-foot” small tree; also called woolybucket prickly vine; 3-5 leaves in cluster; usually with slender thorns; scaly gray warty bumps; leaves pale green stemmed vine; leaf clusters in three; oak due to leaf shape; leaves vary in bumelia and gum elastic; leaves white flowers; black fruit in late outer bark, reddish-brown inner bark; asymmetrical at base; late-summer reddish leaf stems; small whitish shape, often on same branch; usually shiny green above, fuzzy or wooly spring and summer spring white flowers orange to brown/red berry berries found in moist to wet soils below; thorns Roughleaf Dogwood Sawtooth Greenbriar/‘Catbriar’ St. Andrew’s Cross Farkleberry Huisache Live Oak Cornus drummondii Smilax bona-nox Ascyrum hypercoides Vaccinium arboreum Acacia farnesiana Quercus virginiana shrub or small tree; olive-green leaf vine; green bark with green multi-branched small shrub with small tree; oblong evergreen leaves shrub or small tree; paired thorns; small to large tree; evergreen; rough above, fuzzy below; reddish recurved “cathook” prickles; reddish stems; small leaves often wedge-shaped at base; bell-shaped fragrant yellow spring flowers usually oblong-shaped leaves; stems; fall berries; moist soils smooth shiny green 3-lobed growing beneath larger ones; tiny white flowers; black berries in winter prized for nectar; seeds in solitary acorns usually in clusters of 3 to 5 leaves, can be variable yellow summer blooms compartments in fat seed pod Texas Sophora Trumpet Creeper Virginia Creeper Macartney Rose Mustang Grape Post Oak Sophora affinis Campsis radicans Parthenocissus quinquefolia Rosa bracteata Vitis mustangensis Quercus stellata shrub 2-5m; called Eve’s Necklace; climbing vine or shrub to 10m; high climbing vine with adhesive tips; thorny evergreen shrub; white flowers woody vine; leaves green to gray- moderately-sized tree; deeply lobed fuzzy leaves; fragrant pink bonnet- opposite leaves with serrated edge; 5 leaflets emerging from one point in the summer; leaves dark green green above with fuzzy whitish hairs leaves with no points; acorns in fall shaped blooms; black-beaded bean orange tubular flowers on stem above, paler and hairy below below; grapes turn dark purple when ripe SECOND CHOICE — Plants selected when first choice is unavailable. Hawthorn species Netleaf Hackberry Poison Ivy Water Oak Bumelia Dewberry species Crataegus spp. Celtis laevigata Rhus toxicodendron Quercus nigra Bumelia lanuginosa Rubus spp. small tree; many species; twigs tree; gray bark with conspicuous can be small shrub or hairy- large tree; also called a “turkey-foot” small tree; also called woolybucket prickly vine; 3-5 leaves in cluster; usually with slender thorns; scaly gray warty bumps; leaves pale green stemmed vine; leaf clusters in three; oak due to leaf shape; leaves vary in bumelia and gum elastic; leaves white flowers; black fruit in late outer bark, reddish-brown inner bark; asymmetrical at base; late-summer reddish leaf stems; small whitish shape, often on same branch; usually shiny green above, fuzzy or wooly spring and summer spring white flowers orange to brown/red berry berries found in moist to wet soils below; thorns Roughleaf Dogwood Sawtooth Greenbriar/‘Catbriar’ St. Andrew’s Cross Farkleberry Huisache Live Oak Cornus drummondii Smilax bona-nox Ascyrum hypercoides Vaccinium arboreum Acacia farnesiana Quercus virginiana shrub or small tree; olive-green leaf vine; green bark with green multi-branched small shrub with small tree; oblong evergreen leaves shrub or small tree; paired thorns; small to large tree; evergreen; rough above, fuzzy below; reddish recurved “cathook” prickles; reddish stems; small leaves often wedge-shaped at base; bell-shaped fragrant yellow spring flowers usually oblong-shaped leaves; stems; fall berries; moist soils smooth shiny green 3-lobed growing beneath larger ones; tiny white flowers; black berries in winter prized for nectar; seeds in solitary acorns usually in clusters of 3 to 5 leaves, can be variable yellow summer blooms compartments in fat seed pod Texas Sophora Trumpet Creeper Virginia Creeper Macartney Rose Mustang Grape Post Oak Sophora affinis Campsis radicans Parthenocissus quinquefolia Rosa bracteata Vitis mustangensis Quercus stellata shrub 2-5m; called Eve’s Necklace; climbing vine or shrub to 10m; high climbing vine with adhesive tips; thorny evergreen shrub; white flowers woody vine; leaves green to gray- moderately-sized tree; deeply lobed fuzzy leaves; fragrant pink bonnet- opposite leaves with serrated edge; 5 leaflets emerging from one point in the summer; leaves dark green green above with fuzzy whitish hairs leaves with no points; acorns in fall shaped blooms; black-beaded bean orange tubular flowers on stem above, paler and hairy below below; grapes turn dark purple when ripe THIRD CHOICE — Plants eaten as a last resort. texas parks and wildlife Common Browse Plants Utilized by White-Tailed Deer in South-Central Texas White-tailed deer eat the leaves, twigs, seeds, and fruit of a wide variety of plant material. They choose vegetation based on palatability, seasonal availability, vegetation abundance, precipitation, Western Soapberry Yaupon Blackjack Oak and overall health of the habitat. When deer browse, they tend to Sapindus saponaria Ilex vomitoria Quercus marilandica select the most tender growth first, usually the twig tips and new tree to 15m; long alternate leaves; shrub or tree; small evergreen leaves; small tree to 10m; broadly-lobed stiff leaves. When forbs are abundant, the deer’s diet may be primarily gray twigs; shiny red berries in fall leaves with bristle at tip; leaf veins gray to red bark may break into forbs for that time period. By observing which plants deer are eating reddish scales; yellow grape-like and winter conspicuous; acorns ripen in 2 years berries in fall on your property, it is possible to get a better feel for deer population and overall health of