My Deer Garden

Plant record · Ornamental grass

Is Blue Oat Grass deer resistant?

Helictotrichon sempervirens

Steel-blue evergreen tuft of blue oat grass
Photo by Sten Porse, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 1 of 4 · Rarely Damaged

Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.

Type
Ornamental grass
Hardiness
Zones 4–8
Light
Full sun
Height
24–36 in
Bloom
Summer
Maintenance
Low

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

About Blue Oat Grass

Steel-blue evergreen tufts, larger and considerably longer-lived than blue fescue. Comb out the dead blades rather than cutting it back.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7.5
Drainage
Sharp, gritty. Will rot in wet soil
Water
Low
Spacing
18 to 24 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Blue Oat Grass

Other ornamental grasss with the same deer rating.

Where Blue Oat Grass grows

Hardy across 50 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 — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — 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 — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — 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 — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — 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 Blue Oat Grass

Is Blue Oat Grass deer resistant?
Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) is rated Rarely Damaged, step 1 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer almost always leave this alone.
What hardiness zones does Blue Oat Grass grow in?
Blue Oat Grass is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Blue Oat Grass grow in shade?
No. Blue Oat Grass wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Blue Oat Grass get?
Mature height is roughly 24–36 in. Growth rate is moderate.

Browse from here

Every list Blue Oat Grass belongs to.

All ornamental grasss·Rarely damaged·Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8

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 .