Plant Question

COMSECFOR

Button Buck
Does anybody have any experience with planting and growing Hearts-a-Bustin AKA deer candy?
Do these grow well in the woods? When's the best time to buy and plant them? Do they grow like crazy or are they a difficult plant?
Any general advice?
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Does anybody have any experience with planting and growing Hearts-a-Bustin AKA deer candy?
Do these grow well in the woods? When's the best time to buy and plant them? Do they grow like crazy or are they a difficult plant?
Any general advice?


well they claim it will grow in Hardiness zones 5 through 9 and does well in shade to partial shade,,,

if it likes the soil it should do fine,,, doubt it would do well where I am at
 

lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
I have plenty of it in my area. It is usually growing right alongside a good sized tree so I would assume that means it likes the shade. I had never heard of the 'deer candy" thing but have seen very little away from around the house. Don't know if that is because it's not growing in other places or the deer keep it eaten back. I'll have to start paying attention.
 

para4514

Eight Pointer
Contributor
I have not grown any, but as others have said shade to part shade. Have seen it from streamside to fairly dry upland. They are showing to be available at Mellow March Farms in Siler City. On their website they show a very robust plant in a landscape setting, but I can not recall seeing anything like that in the woods. Nice plant, but better options if you are looking for a deer food source and attractant.
 

georgeeebuck

Ten Pointer
I have seen it growing in several different places in the piedmont and foothills of NC. It seems to like the shady areas, and I would think the deer would browse it , maybe too much . I have never seen a place where there was such an abundance of it that it would attract and hold deer because it was growing thick there. Deer being browser seem to take a bit here and there and move along to the next plant. The deer may spend a little more time eating the hearts- a -busting scrub than some other plants but the woods are full of all kinds of plant life that they would eat that seem to be more abundant. Your best bet in trying to establish a large area of it may be to gather some berries (seed ) in the fall and getting them started in pots and planting them in a good shady spot. Good luck !
 
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Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
I have taken wild plants and grown them in pots. They did really well as a regular potted plant. The problem you are going to run into is that they only put on new growth in the spring. The deer will hammer them down and stay small. I’ve watched my plants put over a foot of new growth on in the spring and I cut it back in the fall. The regrowth is the issue.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
I call it strawberry bush, was wondering if that were the same thing. I don't know if it would make a good food plot. However, almost every plant of it I have ever seen was browsed. Can't hurt, it will at the least give the deer some more to eat.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
I have two strawberry bushes in my fenced back yard. They're getting pretty big. I had a third one but it bit the dust when I had a sweetgum removed. I think woodmoose wants some seeds from it. Maybe next fall.
 

GTO ONE

Eight Pointer
I have lots of strawberry bushes on my land. They typically do best growing near an old dead tree stump, and do well in the shade. The only way to get them to any size is CAGE them. They grow very slow, if you don’t cage them the deer wil eat them to the ground.
 

Lowg08

Ten Pointer
I’ve never even paid attention to it. Ill
Have to look. Only thing I’ve ever considered planting for deer outside of food plots is hostas
 
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