My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Japanese Holly deer resistant?

Ilex crenata

Small rounded leaves of Japanese holly
Photo by KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 3 of 4 · Occasionally Severely Damaged

Partly. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 5–8
Light
Part shade
Height
60–120 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 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.

Protecting Japanese Holly

Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so decide on the options before it gets browsed rather than after.

  1. 1How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
  2. 2Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
  3. 3Check 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.

What to plant instead of Japanese Holly

Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, and rated better for deer. If Japanese Holly keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.

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

Where Japanese Holly 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 Holly

Is Japanese Holly deer resistant?
Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged, step 3 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. 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.

Browse from here

Every list Japanese Holly belongs to.

All shrubs·Sometimes destroyed·Part shade plants·Evergreen shrubs

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 .