My Deer Garden

Is Cranberry Bush deer resistant?

Viburnum opulus

White lacecap flowers and red fruit of cranberry bush
Photo by Jan Mehlich, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Seldom damaged

Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271

Plant typeShrubHardinessZones 2–8LightPart shade
Mature height144–192 in
BloomSpring and Summer
MaintenanceModerate
Native range30 US states

About Cranberry Bush

Lacecap flowers, translucent red fruit and good autumn colour. Viburnum leaf beetle strips European forms badly in the northeast, so the American cranberrybush is the safer buy there.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5.5 to 7.5
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
94 to 142 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Moderate

Similar to Cranberry Bush

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Cranberry Bush 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.

Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 30 US states in total.

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Every list Cranberry Bush belongs to.

Hardy in these zones

Common questions about Cranberry Bush

Is Cranberry Bush deer resistant?
Cranberry Bush (Viburnum opulus) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Cranberry Bush grow in?
Cranberry Bush is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Cranberry Bush grow in shade?
Yes. Cranberry Bush tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Cranberry Bush get?
Mature height is roughly 144–192 in. Growth rate is moderate.