Is Maltese Cross deer resistant?
Lychnis chalcedonica
Plant typePerennialHardinessZones 3–9LightFull sunMature height20–40 inBloomSpring and Summer
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
About Maltese Cross
The petals are notched into a cross shape, and the scarlet is loud enough to need careful placing next to anything pink. Stems are thin and want support or a neighbour to lean on. Short-lived but self-sows reliably.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 12 to 18 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Maltese Cross
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- African LilyAgapanthus sp.Zones 8–11, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AsparagusAsparagus officinalisZones 2–9Seldom damaged
- AsterAster sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AstilbeAstilbe x arendsiiZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Baby's BreathGypsophila sp.Zones 3–9, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- BastardsageEriogonum wrightiiZones 5–10Seldom damaged
Where Maltese Cross grows
Hardy across most of these 51 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
- Hawaii
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Every list Maltese Cross belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Maltese Cross
- Is Maltese Cross deer resistant?
- Maltese Cross (Lychnis chalcedonica) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Maltese Cross grow in?
- Maltese Cross is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Maltese Cross grow in shade?
- No. Maltese Cross wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Maltese Cross get?
- Mature height is roughly 20–40 in. Growth rate is moderate.