My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub · Berberidaceae

Is Japanese Barberry deer resistant?

Berberis thunbergii

Japanese barberry branch with red berries and small leaves
Photo by MPF, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 1 of 4 · Rarely Damaged

Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 4–8
Light
Part shade
Height
36–72 in
Bloom
April–May
Maintenance
Low
Family
Berberidaceae

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Japanese Barberry

Thorny and genuinely unpalatable, which is why it was planted by the million and why it is now banned or restricted across much of the northeast.

It escapes into woodland and forms dense thickets. There is also a documented public health angle: barberry stands hold humidity at ground level, which supports higher densities of the mice that carry Lyme disease and of the ticks themselves. Several state bans cite it.

Check your own state before buying. Sterile cultivars have been released in response to the bans and are legal in some places where the species is not, but the rules change yearly.

Deer avoiding a plant is not a reason to plant it. Inkberry and bayberry give similar structure without the problem.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7.5
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Low
Fertility
Low
Spacing
35 to 59 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Low

Tolerances and uses

Drought
High
Salt
Moderate
Pollinators
Low

Similar to Japanese Barberry

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Japanese Barberry grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Japanese Barberry

Is Japanese Barberry deer resistant?
Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is rated Rarely Damaged, step 1 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer almost always leave this alone.
What hardiness zones does Japanese Barberry grow in?
Japanese Barberry is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Japanese Barberry grow in shade?
Yes. Japanese Barberry tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Japanese Barberry get?
Mature height is roughly 36–72 in. Growth rate is moderate.
When does Japanese Barberry bloom?
Japanese Barberry flowers from April–May.
Is Japanese Barberry invasive?
Japanese Barberry is listed as invasive or restricted in NY, PA, MA, NH, ME, CT, RI, WV. Deer leaving it alone is not a reason to plant it. Check your own state before buying.

Browse from here

Every list Japanese Barberry belongs to.

All shrubs·Rarely damaged·Part shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .