My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Japanese Skimmia deer resistant?

Skimmia japonica

Skimmia with red berries and evergreen leaves
Photo by Kurt Stüber, 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 7–8
Light
Full shade to part shade
Height
24–84 in
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
Low

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

About Japanese Skimmia

Evergreen, shade-tolerant and studded with red berries all winter. Most forms need a male and a female plant, which is why single specimens so often fail to fruit.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5 to 6.5
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
35 to 47 in apart
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low

Tolerances and uses

Evergreen

Similar to Japanese Skimmia

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Japanese Skimmia grows

Hardy across 35 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 — not 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 — not hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — not 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 — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — not hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — not hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — not 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 — not 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 — not 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 — not 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 — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — not 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 Skimmia

Is Japanese Skimmia deer resistant?
Japanese Skimmia (Skimmia japonica) 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 Skimmia grow in?
Japanese Skimmia is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Japanese Skimmia grow in shade?
Yes. Japanese Skimmia tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Japanese Skimmia get?
Mature height is roughly 24–84 in. Growth rate is slow.

Browse from here

Every list Japanese Skimmia belongs to.

All shrubs·Rarely damaged·Shade plants·Evergreen shrubs

Hardy in these zones

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 .