Rusty blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum) , yaupon (!lex vomitoria), common greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia) , and yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) are major sources of deer food in upland pinehardwood forests of the South. In the study reported here, the quality of forage on these plants was related to their rate of growth. Rusty blackhaw is a deciduous shrub; yaupon, an evergreen shrub; greenbrier, a deciduous vine; and yellow jessamine, an evergreen vine. The plants studied were growing near Nacogdoches in east-central Texas in a well-stocked pine-hardwood timber stand. Shortleaf and loblolly pines dominated the overstory. The understory contained a multilayered assortment of hardwoods and shrubs. The study area had not been burned or grazed by livestock for at least 10 years. The soil is fine sandy loam with good surface and internal drainage.
