Is Dahlia deer resistant?
Dahlia sp.
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Dahlia
Tubers need lifting and storing frost-free north of about zone 7, or heavy mulching where winters are mild. Slugs destroy the emerging shoots, so protect them from the first day. Pinch the growing tip at four leaf pairs for a bushier plant, and deadhead relentlessly.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 18 to 35 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- High
Deer-resistant alternatives to Dahlia
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Dahlia keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Angel's TrumpetBrugmansia sp.Grown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
- AnisePimpinella anisumGrown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
- Annual VincaCatharanthus roseusGrown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
- Dusty MillerCentaurea cinerariaGrown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
- False CamomileMatricaria sp.Grown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
- LarkspurConsolida ambiguaGrown as an annual, any zoneRarely damaged
Similar to Dahlia
Other annuals with the same deer rating.
- Annual GeraniumPelargonium x hortorumGrown as an annual, any zoneOccasionally damaged
- ColeusColeus sp.Grown as an annual, any zoneOccasionally damaged
- CosmosCosmos sp.Grown as an annual, any zoneOccasionally damaged
- Garden BalsamImpatiens balsaminaGrown as an annual, any zoneOccasionally damaged
- Garden PetuniaPetunia sp.Grown as an annual, any zoneOccasionally damaged
- Gerbera DaisyGerbera jamesoniiGrown as an annual, any zoneOccasionally damaged
Protecting Dahlia
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 Dahlia 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.
- 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
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Dahlia belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Dahlia
- Is Dahlia deer resistant?
- Dahlia (Dahlia sp.) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Dahlia grow in?
- Dahlia is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 11. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Dahlia grow in shade?
- No. Dahlia wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- Is Dahlia toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Dahlia 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.