Is Evergreen Azalea deer resistant?
Rhododendron sp.
Deer will destroy this. Do not plant it unprotected.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Evergreen Azalea
Among the worst plants you can choose where deer are resident. The leaves stay on all winter, which is exactly when forage runs out, so the plant is eaten precisely when nothing else is available. Deciduous azaleas fare slightly better since they are bare in the hungry months. If you want evergreen structure in acid shade, use inkberry holly or Japanese pieris, both rated Rarely Damaged.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 4.5 to 6
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 35 to 59 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Deer-resistant alternatives to Evergreen Azalea
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Evergreen Azalea keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Apache PlumeFallugia paradoxaZones 6–10Seldom damaged
- BeautyberryCallicarpa sp.Zones 6–10, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- Blackhaw ViburnumViburnum prunifoliumZones 3–9Seldom damaged
- California SweetshrubCalycanthus occidentalisZones 6–9Seldom damaged
- Common SweetshrubCalycanthus floridusZones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Common WitchhazelHamamelis virginianaZones 3–9Seldom damaged
Similar to Evergreen Azalea
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
Protecting Evergreen Azalea
Deer will destroy this without protection, so the question is which kind you are willing to pay for.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- What a deer fence costsMaterial ratios are stable even when prices are not, and installation reliably doubles the figure.
- 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 Evergreen Azalea grows
Hardy across most of these 46 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
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
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Every list Evergreen Azalea belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Evergreen Azalea
- Is Evergreen Azalea deer resistant?
- Evergreen Azalea (Rhododendron sp.) is rated Frequently Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer will destroy this. Do not plant it unprotected.
- What hardiness zones does Evergreen Azalea grow in?
- Evergreen Azalea is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9. 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 Evergreen Azalea grow in shade?
- Yes. Evergreen Azalea tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- Is Evergreen Azalea toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Evergreen Azalea 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.