Shrubs for Cover

[Matt Galati]

What are some of the fastest growing shrubs for cover. Was looking into thicket plum and dog wood. I don't really want to have to cage everything so something a little browse tolerant would be great. Any help?

 

[rustybucket]

The plum thickets around here get a LOT of browse and provide fantastic cover. You could probably get by not caging them as long as your density isn't too thick.

 

[1yellowdog]

I haven't had any luck on shrubs that don't need some protection beside Speckled Alder. I have plum, chokecherry, highbrush cranberry, dogwood (grey and red), and ninebark. All those mentioned have been browsed to the ground in my area. I started tubing chokecherry and plum for the first season to get them started. Experimenting on a few this year and pulled the tube after they hit 4' to see if they can handle the browse without protection.
But the Speckled Alders are bullet proof. They are my go-to for establishing my screening projects.

 

[Fish]

Dont here much talk about northern bayberry. I have a handful and the deer dont seem to like them. They hold leaves until we get hard freezes, which is nice. Small berries that are pretty much a starvation food for birds from what ive read.

They sure smell good though.​