Is Cambridge Geranium deer resistant?
Geranium x cantabrigiense
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Cambridge Geranium
A low spreading hybrid that makes dense aromatic groundcover and takes dry shade well. Semi-evergreen, and the foliage colours in autumn. One of the better cranesbills for difficult ground, though rated Occasionally Damaged rather than safe.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Deer-resistant alternatives to Cambridge Geranium
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Cambridge Geranium keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Bigleaf GoldenrayLigularia dentataZones 4–8Rarely damaged
- Bleeding HeartLamprocapnos spectabilisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- ButtercupRanunculus sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Dame's RocketHesperis matronalisZones 3–8Rarely damaged
- European GingerAsarum europaeumZones 4–8Rarely damaged
- Forget-Me-NotMyosotis sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
Similar to Cambridge Geranium
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- AvensGeum sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Balloon FlowerPlatycodon grandiflorusZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- BellflowerCampanula glomerataZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- Blanket FlowerGaillardia sp.Zones 3–10, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Bloody CranesbillGeranium sanguineumZones 3–9Occasionally damaged
- Chameleon SpurgeEuphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon'Zones 4–9Occasionally damaged
Protecting Cambridge Geranium
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check it is actually deerDeer tear and leave a ragged stub. A clean 45-degree cut is rabbits, and slug holes get blamed on deer constantly.
Where Cambridge Geranium 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 Cambridge Geranium belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Cambridge Geranium
- Is Cambridge Geranium deer resistant?
- Cambridge Geranium (Geranium x cantabrigiense) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Cambridge Geranium grow in?
- Cambridge Geranium is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Cambridge Geranium grow in shade?
- Yes. Cambridge Geranium tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.