Is Bigleaf Hydrangea deer resistant?
Hydrangea macrophylla
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Bigleaf Hydrangea
Frequently browsed, and one of the most-searched deer problems there is. The part that catches people out is timing. Bigleaf hydrangea sets next summer's flower buds in late summer and carries them on bare stems all winter. Deer browsing those stems in January are not damaging this year's growth, they are removing next year's flowers, and the plant leafs out perfectly in spring with no blooms at all. Every year the owner concludes they pruned it wrong. If that is happening, the answer is winter protection specifically: cage or wrap the stems from leaf drop until spring, when the plant is dormant and nobody is watching it. Panicle and smooth hydrangeas flower on new wood, so winter browsing costs them nothing. In real deer pressure they are the sensible substitute.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- High
- Fertility
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 59 to 71 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Tolerances and uses
- Drought
- None
- Salt
- Low
- Pollinators
- Low
- Containers
- Rain gardens
What to plant it with
Keep apart from
- Lavender
Hydrangea wants consistent moisture; lavender wants to dry out completely between waterings. One of them loses.
- Bearded Iris
Iris rhizomes need to bake dry at the surface. Regular watering for hydrangea rots them.
Similar to Bigleaf Hydrangea
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- 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
- Deciduous AzaleaRhododendron sp.Zones 5–8, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
Protecting Bigleaf Hydrangea
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 Bigleaf Hydrangea 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
Browse from here
Every list Bigleaf Hydrangea belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Bigleaf Hydrangea
- Is Bigleaf Hydrangea deer resistant?
- Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Bigleaf Hydrangea grow in?
- Bigleaf Hydrangea is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 11. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Bigleaf Hydrangea grow in shade?
- Yes. Bigleaf Hydrangea tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Bigleaf Hydrangea get?
- Mature height is roughly 36–72 in. Growth rate is moderate.
- When does Bigleaf Hydrangea bloom?
- Bigleaf Hydrangea flowers from June–August.
- Is Bigleaf Hydrangea toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Bigleaf Hydrangea 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.