Is Mountain Laurel deer resistant?
Kalmia latifolia
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Mountain Laurel
The flower buds open by a spring-loaded mechanism that flicks pollen onto visiting insects, which is worth watching for. Needs acid, sharply drained soil that stays moist, and it sulks in clay. Every part is highly toxic. Evergreen leaves make it a winter browse target.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 4.5 to 6
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 59 to 94 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Tolerances and uses
- Evergreen
Deer-resistant alternatives to Mountain Laurel
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Mountain Laurel keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Similar to Mountain Laurel
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Bigleaf HydrangeaHydrangea macrophyllaZones 6–11Occasionally damaged
- Bloodtwig DogwoodCornus sanguineaZones 5–7Occasionally damaged
- Blue HollyIlex x meserveaeZones 5–7Occasionally damaged
- Carolina RhododendronRhododendron carolinianumZones 5–8Occasionally damaged
- Catawba RhododendronRhododendron catawbienseZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
- Chinese LilacSyringa x chinensisZones 3–7Occasionally damaged
Protecting Mountain Laurel
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check 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.
Where Mountain Laurel 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.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshirenative
- Vermontnative
- Mainenative
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 25 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Mountain Laurel belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Mountain Laurel
- Is Mountain Laurel deer resistant?
- Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Mountain Laurel grow in?
- Mountain Laurel is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Mountain Laurel grow in shade?
- Yes. Mountain Laurel tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Mountain Laurel get?
- Mature height is roughly 48–180 in. Growth rate is slow.
- Is Mountain Laurel toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Mountain Laurel as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.