My Deer Garden

Plant record · Perennial

Is Mountain Bluet deer resistant?

Centaurea montana

Spidery blue mountain bluet flower
Photo by Stemonitis, CC BY-SA 2.5. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 3 of 4 · Occasionally Severely Damaged

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

Type
Perennial
Hardiness
Zones 3–8
Light
Part shade
Height
12–24 in
Bloom
Summer and Fall
Maintenance
Moderate

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

About Mountain Bluet

Spidery cornflower-blue flowers in late spring on a tough perennial that thrives on neglect. It goes shabby straight after flowering, so cut the whole plant to the ground and it reflushes cleanly and often flowers again. Self-sows and spreads at the root.

Protecting Mountain Bluet

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. 3Fencing a raised bedA deer jumps from ground level, so measure the barrier from the ground and not from the top of the bed.
  4. 4Check 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 Mountain Bluet

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

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7.5
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Low
Spacing
18 to 24 in apart
Growth rate
Fast
Maintenance
Moderate

Where Mountain Bluet grows

Hardy across 50 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 — 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 Mountain Bluet

Is Mountain Bluet deer resistant?
Mountain Bluet (Centaurea montana) 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 Mountain Bluet grow in?
Mountain Bluet is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Mountain Bluet grow in shade?
Yes. Mountain Bluet tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Mountain Bluet get?
Mature height is roughly 12–24 in. Growth rate is fast.

Browse from here

Every list Mountain Bluet belongs to.

All perennials·Sometimes destroyed·Part shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 3·Zone 4·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 .