Is Garden Mum deer resistant?
Chrysanthemum morifolium
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Garden Mum
Bitter foliage, and deer generally walk past it in summer. Autumn is different: the flower buds get browsed just as they colour up, which is exactly when you bought the plant for. The bigger issue is that most mums sold in September are not going to survive. Florist mums are grown as disposable colour, forced into bud, with almost no root system and no time to establish before frost. They are annuals in practice whatever the label says. Hardy garden mums are a different plant, sold in spring, planted early enough to root properly, and pinched back through June to build a dense mound. Those come back. If you want perennial mums, buy them in the growing season rather than as autumn decoration.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Fertility
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Tolerances and uses
- Drought
- Moderate
- Salt
- Low
- Pollinators
- Moderate
- Containers
Deer-resistant alternatives to Garden Mum
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Garden Mum keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Anise HyssopAgastache sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Bearded IrisIris germanicaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Butter and EggsLinaria vulgarisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- False IndigoBaptisia australisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- GermanderTeucrium chamaedrysZones 5–9Rarely damaged
- Greek Jerusalem SagePhlomis sp.Zones 5–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
Similar to Garden Mum
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- AvensGeum sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Balloon FlowerPlatycodon grandiflorusZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- BellflowerCampanula glomerataZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- Blanket FlowerGaillardia sp.Zones 3–10, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Bloody CranesbillGeranium sanguineumZones 3–9Occasionally damaged
- Cambridge GeraniumGeranium x cantabrigienseZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
Protecting Garden Mum
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 Garden Mum 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
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Garden Mum belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Garden Mum
- Is Garden Mum deer resistant?
- Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Garden Mum grow in?
- Garden Mum is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Garden Mum grow in shade?
- No. Garden Mum wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Garden Mum get?
- Mature height is roughly 12–36 in. Growth rate is moderate.
- When does Garden Mum bloom?
- Garden Mum flowers from September–November.
- Is Garden Mum toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Garden Mum as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.