Is Japanese Euonymus deer resistant?
Euonymus japonicus
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Japanese Euonymus
Glossy evergreen leaves, usually in variegated forms, and it clips into a tidy formal hedge. Euonymus scale is the recurring problem and can kill whole branches. It also seeds into wild land in the southeast. Salt-tolerant, so useful in coastal planting.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 35 to 59 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Tolerances and uses
- Evergreen
Deer-resistant alternatives to Japanese Euonymus
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Japanese Euonymus keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Devil's Walking StickAralia spinosaZones 4–9Rarely damaged
- Fragrant SumacRhus aromaticaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Japanese Plum YewCephalotaxus harringtoniaZones 6–9Rarely damaged
- John T. Morris HollyIlex x 'John T. Morris'Zones 6–9Rarely damaged
- Lydia Morris HollyIlex x 'Lydia Morris'Zones 6–9Rarely damaged
Similar to Japanese Euonymus
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 Japanese Euonymus
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 Japanese Euonymus 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 Japanese Euonymus belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Japanese Euonymus
- Is Japanese Euonymus deer resistant?
- Japanese Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Japanese Euonymus grow in?
- Japanese Euonymus is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Japanese Euonymus grow in shade?
- Yes. Japanese Euonymus tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Japanese Euonymus get?
- Mature height is roughly 120–180 in. Growth rate is moderate.
- Is Japanese Euonymus toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Japanese Euonymus 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.