Skip to main content

Black-tailed deer

Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

Medium deer with large ears, mule-like proportions, and white tail. Browsers shaping native plant communities; essential seed dispersers in Bay Area wildlands.

Plants that support Black-tailed deer

7 plants

Blue oak

Quercus douglasii

high

tree

Browse on leaves and young shoots; acorns eaten in fall

Bay Area nativeKeystone species

Cascade Barberry

Berberis nervosa

moderate

perennial herb

Browsing on evergreen foliage, particularly important winter forage in Pacific Northwest

Bay Area native

Hollyleaf Buckthorn

Rhamnus crocea

high

shrub

Browsed heavily in dry seasons; drought-tolerant native preferred

Bay Area native

Nootka Rose

Rosa nutkana

high

perennial herb

Browse stems, leaves, and young shoots; increased browsing in winter when preferred foods scarce

Bay Area nativeKeystone species

Scrub oak

Quercus berberidifolia

high

tree

Year-round browse in coastal ranges and northern California

Bay Area nativeKeystone species

Valley Oak

Quercus lobata

moderate

tree

Browse young leaves and twigs; acorn consumption in fall

Bay Area nativeKeystone species

Whiteleaf Manzanita

Arctostaphylos manzanita subsp. laevigata

moderate

shrub

Browsing on leaves and twigs; important winter forage when other vegetation scarce

Bay Area nativeKeystone species