My Deer Garden

Plant record · Ornamental grass

Is Bamboo deer resistant?

Bambusa sp.

Tall clumping bamboo canes
Photo by Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Ornamental grass
Hardiness
Zones 8–11, genus range
Light
Full sun
Maintenance
Moderate

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Bamboo

Bambusa species clump rather than run, which makes them far safer than the running Phyllostachys. Mostly limited to zone 8 and warmer.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5.5 to 7
Drainage
Average garden soil
Water
Moderate
Spacing
94 to 142 in apart
Growth rate
Fast
Maintenance
Moderate

Similar to Bamboo

Other ornamental grasss with the same deer rating.

Where Bamboo grows

Hardy across 23 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — not hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — not hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — not hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — not hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — not hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — not hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — not hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — not hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — not hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — not hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — not hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — not hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — not hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — not hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — not hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — not hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Bamboo

Is Bamboo deer resistant?
Bamboo (Bambusa sp.) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Bamboo grow in?
Bamboo is hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
Does Bamboo grow in shade?
No. Bamboo wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.

Browse from here

Every list Bamboo belongs to.

All ornamental grasss·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 8·Zone 9

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .