My Deer Garden

Is Hard Rush deer resistant?

Juncus effusus

Upright green stems of soft rush
Photo by Meggar, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Rarely damaged

Deer almost always leave this alone.

Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271

Plant typeOrnamental grassHardinessZones 4–9LightPart shadeBloomSummer
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range47 US states

About Hard Rush

Stiff vertical stems for pond margins and boggy ground where most of this list would drown. Tolerates standing water indefinitely.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5 to 7
Drainage
Tolerates wet feet
Water
High
Spacing
18 to 24 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Hard Rush

Other ornamental grasss with the same deer rating.

Where Hard Rush 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.

Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 47 US states in total.

Browse from here

Every list Hard Rush belongs to.

Hardy in these zones

Common questions about Hard Rush

Is Hard Rush deer resistant?
Hard Rush (Juncus effusus) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
What hardiness zones does Hard Rush grow in?
Hard Rush is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Hard Rush grow in shade?
Yes. Hard Rush tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.