Is Chinese Lilac deer resistant?
Syringa x chinensis
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Chinese Lilac
A hybrid with a looser, more graceful habit than common lilac and heavier flowering, on arching rather than stiff upright stems. Slightly better mildew resistance too. Prune straight after flowering, since buds form on the current season's growth.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 94 to 142 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Deer-resistant alternatives to Chinese Lilac
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Chinese Lilac keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- BayberryMyrica pensylvanicaZones 3–7Rarely damaged
- Bush CinquefoilPotentilla fruticosaZones 2–7Rarely damaged
- Moonglow JuniperJuniperus scopulorum 'Moonglow'Zones 3–7Rarely damaged
- Prince of Wales JuniperJuniperus horizontalis 'Prince of Wales'Zones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Russian OliveElaeagnus angustifoliaZones 2–7Rarely damaged
Similar to Chinese Lilac
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Bigleaf HydrangeaHydrangea macrophyllaZones 6–11Occasionally damaged
- Bloodtwig DogwoodCornus sanguineaZones 5–7Occasionally damaged
- Blue HollyIlex x meserveaeZones 5–7Occasionally damaged
- Carolina RhododendronRhododendron carolinianumZones 5–8Occasionally damaged
- Catawba RhododendronRhododendron catawbienseZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
- Deciduous AzaleaRhododendron sp.Zones 5–8, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
Protecting Chinese Lilac
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 Chinese Lilac grows
Hardy across most of these 48 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
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- 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 Chinese Lilac belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Chinese Lilac
- Is Chinese Lilac deer resistant?
- Chinese Lilac (Syringa x chinensis) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Chinese Lilac grow in?
- Chinese Lilac is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Chinese Lilac grow in shade?
- No. Chinese Lilac wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.