Is Delphinium deer resistant?
Delphinium sp.
Plant typePerennialHardinessZones 3–7, genus rangeLightFull sun
MaintenanceHigh, wants regular attention
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Delphinium
Tall blue spires that need staking before they need it, not after. Every part is toxic, which is why deer leave them and why slugs are the real enemy in spring.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6.5 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- High
Similar to Delphinium
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- African LilyAgapanthus sp.Zones 8–11, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AsparagusAsparagus officinalisZones 2–9Seldom damaged
- AsterAster sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AstilbeAstilbe x arendsiiZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Baby's BreathGypsophila sp.Zones 3–9, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- BastardsageEriogonum wrightiiZones 5–10Seldom damaged
Where Delphinium 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
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Every list Delphinium belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Delphinium
- Is Delphinium deer resistant?
- Delphinium (Delphinium sp.) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Delphinium grow in?
- Delphinium is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7. 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 Delphinium grow in shade?
- No. Delphinium wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- Is Delphinium toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Delphinium 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.