Is Fragrant Winterhazel deer resistant?
Corylopsis glabrescens
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Fragrant Winterhazel
Dangling chains of soft yellow bells with a cowslip scent, on bare branches in very early spring. Underused and worth seeking out. Needs acid soil, shelter from wind, and a position where the flowers are not caught by hard late frost.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 4.5 to 6
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 71 to 94 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Deer-resistant alternatives to Fragrant Winterhazel
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Fragrant Winterhazel keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Arrowwood ViburnumViburnum dentatumZones 2–8Rarely damaged
- BarberryBerberis sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- BoxwoodBuxus sempervirensZones 5–8Rarely damaged
- DaphneDaphne sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Devil's Walking StickAralia spinosaZones 4–9Rarely damaged
- Fragrant SumacRhus aromaticaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Similar to Fragrant Winterhazel
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Bigleaf HydrangeaHydrangea macrophyllaZones 6–11Occasionally damaged
- Bloodtwig DogwoodCornus sanguineaZones 5–7Occasionally damaged
- Blue HollyIlex x meserveaeZones 5–7Occasionally damaged
- Carolina RhododendronRhododendron carolinianumZones 5–8Occasionally damaged
- Catawba RhododendronRhododendron catawbienseZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
- Chinese LilacSyringa x chinensisZones 3–7Occasionally damaged
Protecting Fragrant Winterhazel
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 Fragrant Winterhazel grows
Hardy across most of these 49 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
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
Browse from here
Every list Fragrant Winterhazel belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Fragrant Winterhazel
- Is Fragrant Winterhazel deer resistant?
- Fragrant Winterhazel (Corylopsis glabrescens) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Fragrant Winterhazel grow in?
- Fragrant Winterhazel is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Fragrant Winterhazel grow in shade?
- Yes. Fragrant Winterhazel tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Fragrant Winterhazel get?
- Mature height is roughly 96–180 in. Growth rate is slow.