My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Leatherleaf Mahonia deer resistant?

Mahonia bealei

Blue berries and spiny leaves of leatherleaf mahonia
Photo by Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 1 of 4 · Rarely Damaged

Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 7–9
Light
Full shade to part shade
Height
48–120 in
Bloom
Spring and Winter
Maintenance
Low

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

About Leatherleaf Mahonia

Spiny architectural leaves, yellow winter flowers and blue berries. It seeds into woodland in the southeast and is treated as invasive there.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5.5 to 7
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
59 to 94 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Low

Tolerances and uses

Evergreen

Similar to Leatherleaf Mahonia

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Leatherleaf Mahonia grows

Hardy across 36 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 — 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 Leatherleaf Mahonia

Is Leatherleaf Mahonia deer resistant?
Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealei) 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 Leatherleaf Mahonia grow in?
Leatherleaf Mahonia is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Leatherleaf Mahonia grow in shade?
Yes. Leatherleaf Mahonia tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Leatherleaf Mahonia get?
Mature height is roughly 48–120 in. Growth rate is moderate.

Browse from here

Every list Leatherleaf Mahonia belongs to.

All shrubs·Rarely damaged·Shade plants·Evergreen shrubs

Hardy in these zones

Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

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 .