Is Holly Osmanthus deer resistant?
Osmanthus heterophyllus
Plant typeShrubHardinessZones 7–9LightPart shade
Mature height96–240 in
BloomFallMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
About Holly Osmanthus
Looks convincingly like holly until you notice the leaves sit opposite each other on the stem rather than alternating, which is the quickest way to tell them apart. The real reason to grow it is the autumn flowers, which are tiny and easy to miss but scent the whole garden. Takes hard clipping, so it works as a hedge where you want fragrance rather than berries.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 47 to 71 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Tolerances and uses
- Evergreen
Similar to Holly Osmanthus
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Antelope BitterbrushPurshia tridentataSeldom damaged
- Anthony Waterer SpireaSpiraea x bumaldaZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Apache PlumeFallugia paradoxaZones 6–10Seldom damaged
- Armstrong JuniperJuniperus chinensis 'Armstrongii'Zones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Autumn OliveElaeagnus umbellataZones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Autumn SageSalvia greggiiZones 6–9Seldom damaged
Where Holly Osmanthus grows
Hardy across most of these 36 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
- Illinois
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
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Every list Holly Osmanthus belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Holly Osmanthus
- Is Holly Osmanthus deer resistant?
- Holly Osmanthus (Osmanthus heterophyllus) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Holly Osmanthus grow in?
- Holly Osmanthus is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Holly Osmanthus grow in shade?
- Yes. Holly Osmanthus tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Holly Osmanthus get?
- Mature height is roughly 96–240 in. Growth rate is moderate.