My Deer Garden

Is Cinnamon Fern deer resistant?

Osmunda cinnamomea

Cinnamon fern with upright fertile fronds
Photo by Antepenultimate, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Rarely damaged

Deer almost always leave this alone.

Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271

Plant typeFernHardinessZones 4–9LightFull shade to part shade
Mature height24–72 in
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range34 US states

About Cinnamon Fern

Named for the cinnamon-coloured fertile fronds standing upright in the centre of the clump. Wants soil that stays damp, and sulks if it dries out.

Soil and care

Soil pH
4.5 to 6
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
High
Spacing
24 to 35 in apart
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Cinnamon Fern

Other ferns with the same deer rating.

Where Cinnamon Fern grows

Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.

Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 34 US states in total.

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Every list Cinnamon Fern belongs to.

Hardy in these zones

Common questions about Cinnamon Fern

Is Cinnamon Fern deer resistant?
Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
What hardiness zones does Cinnamon Fern grow in?
Cinnamon Fern is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Cinnamon Fern grow in shade?
Yes. Cinnamon Fern tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Cinnamon Fern get?
Mature height is roughly 24–72 in. Growth rate is slow.