Is Japanese Holly deer resistant?
Ilex crenata
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Japanese Holly
Small rounded leaves with no spines at all, which is why it is used as a boxwood substitute and clips just as well. It needs acid soil and sharp drainage, and black root rot kills it in heavy wet ground, which is the usual cause of sudden death in established plants.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 35 to 59 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Tolerances and uses
- Evergreen
Deer-resistant alternatives to Japanese Holly
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Japanese Holly keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Arrowwood ViburnumViburnum dentatumZones 2–8Rarely damaged
- BarberryBerberis sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- BoxwoodBuxus sempervirensZones 5–8Rarely damaged
- DaphneDaphne sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Devil's Walking StickAralia spinosaZones 4–9Rarely damaged
- Fragrant SumacRhus aromaticaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Similar to Japanese Holly
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 Holly
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 Holly grows
Hardy across most of these 49 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
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
Browse from here
Every list Japanese Holly belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Japanese Holly
- Is Japanese Holly deer resistant?
- Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata) 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 Holly grow in?
- Japanese Holly 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 Holly grow in shade?
- Yes. Japanese Holly tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Japanese Holly get?
- Mature height is roughly 60–120 in. Growth rate is slow.
- Is Japanese Holly toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Japanese Holly 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.