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Chronically elevated ungulate browse pressure in temperate forests worldwide often generates ecological legacies characterized by low plant diversity and contributes to the formation of dense, nearly monodominant, and highly recalcitrant layers of understory vegetation. Once established, these recalcitrant layers combined with continued browsing may jointly constrain tree establishment and diversity so completely that understory recovery may be unattainable without mitigating browse pressure, the recalcitrant layer, or both. Here, we investigate the independent and synergistic effects of both white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browsing and hay‐scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) competition on tree regeneration in a 10‐year experiment. Specifically, we examine how tree seedling establishment, growth, and composition are filtered by fern cover versus fern removal (gaps), browser presence …