Is Climbing Hydrangea deer resistant?
Hydrangea anomala petiolaris
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Climbing Hydrangea
Self-clinging by aerial roots, so it needs no support, and it will cover a north wall where almost nothing else flowers. It sulks for the first three or four years and then grows strongly, which defeats a lot of gardeners. Peeling cinnamon bark is a winter feature once mature.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 71 to 118 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Climbing Hydrangea
Other vines with the same deer rating.
- ClematisClematis sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- English IvyHedera helixZones 4–9Occasionally damaged
- Goldflame HoneysuckleLonicera x heckrottiiZones 5–9Occasionally damaged
- Trumpet CreeperCampsis radicansZones 4–10Occasionally damaged
- Virginia CreeperParthenocissus quinquefoliaZones 3–10Occasionally damaged
Protecting Climbing Hydrangea
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 Climbing Hydrangea 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 Climbing Hydrangea belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Climbing Hydrangea
- Is Climbing Hydrangea deer resistant?
- Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Climbing Hydrangea grow in?
- Climbing Hydrangea is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Climbing Hydrangea grow in shade?
- Yes. Climbing Hydrangea tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- Is Climbing Hydrangea toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Climbing Hydrangea as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.