Is Barberry deer resistant?
Berberis sp.
About Barberry
Thorny and genuinely unpalatable. Check your state list before buying, because Japanese barberry is banned or restricted across much of the northeast.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 35 to 59 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Barberry
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Arrowwood ViburnumViburnum dentatumZones 2–8Rarely damaged
- BayberryMyrica pensylvanicaZones 3–7Rarely damaged
- Blue Mist ShrubCaryopteris clandonensisZones 6–9Rarely damaged
- BoxwoodBuxus sempervirensZones 5–8Rarely damaged
- BroomCytisus sp.Zones 5–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Bush CinquefoilPotentilla fruticosaZones 2–7Rarely damaged
Where Barberry grows
Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
Browse from here
Every list Barberry belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Barberry
- Is Barberry deer resistant?
- Barberry (Berberis sp.) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Barberry grow in?
- Barberry is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. 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 Barberry grow in shade?
- Yes. Barberry tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- Is Barberry invasive?
- Barberry is listed as invasive or restricted in NY, PA, MA, NH, ME, CT, RI, WV, VT, NJ. Deer leaving it alone is not a reason to plant it. Check your own state before buying.