My Deer Garden

Plant record · Tree

Is Japanese Flowering Cherry deer resistant?

Prunus serrulata

Japanese cherry in full pink blossom
Photo by Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Tree
Hardiness
Zones 5–8
Light
Full sun
Height
180–300 in
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
Moderate
Toxic to
dogs, cats, and horses

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

About Japanese Flowering Cherry

Spectacular for about ten days and unremarkable for the rest of the year. Short-lived by tree standards, often thirty years, and prone to canker and borers as it ages. Prune only in dry summer weather, never in winter, because the open wounds invite silver leaf and bacterial canker.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Moderate
Spacing
177 to 236 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Moderate

Similar to Japanese Flowering Cherry

Other trees with the same deer rating.

Where Japanese Flowering Cherry grows

Hardy across 49 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 — not 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 Flowering Cherry

Is Japanese Flowering Cherry deer resistant?
Japanese Flowering Cherry (Prunus serrulata) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Japanese Flowering Cherry grow in?
Japanese Flowering Cherry is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Japanese Flowering Cherry grow in shade?
No. Japanese Flowering Cherry wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Japanese Flowering Cherry get?
Mature height is roughly 180–300 in. Growth rate is moderate.
Is Japanese Flowering Cherry toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Japanese Flowering Cherry 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.

Browse from here

Every list Japanese Flowering Cherry belongs to.

All trees·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants·Mast and fruit trees

Hardy in these zones

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 .