Is Japanese Spirea deer resistant?
Spiraea japonica
Plant typeShrubHardinessZones 3–8LightFull sun
Mature height48–72 in
BloomSpring and SummerMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
About Japanese Spirea
Flowers on new wood, so cut it back hard in early spring and shear the spent heads for a second flush. Golden-leaved forms scorch in full afternoon sun in hot regions. It seeds into woodland and roadsides across the northeast and is listed as invasive in several states, so check locally before planting.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Average garden soil
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 35 to 59 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Japanese Spirea
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Antelope BitterbrushPurshia tridentataSeldom damaged
- Anthony Waterer SpireaSpiraea x bumaldaZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Apache PlumeFallugia paradoxaZones 6–10Seldom damaged
- Armstrong JuniperJuniperus chinensis 'Armstrongii'Zones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Autumn OliveElaeagnus umbellataZones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Autumn SageSalvia greggiiZones 6–9Seldom damaged
Where Japanese Spirea grows
Hardy across most of these 50 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
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
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Every list Japanese Spirea belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Japanese Spirea
- Is Japanese Spirea deer resistant?
- Japanese Spirea (Spiraea japonica) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Japanese Spirea grow in?
- Japanese Spirea is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Japanese Spirea grow in shade?
- No. Japanese Spirea wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Japanese Spirea get?
- Mature height is roughly 48–72 in. Growth rate is fast.