My Deer Garden

Plant record · Ornamental grass

Is Northern Sea Oats deer resistant?

Chasmanthium latifolium

Flat dangling seed heads of northern sea oats
Photo by Eric in SF, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 1 of 4 · Rarely Damaged

Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.

Type
Ornamental grass
Hardiness
Zones 5–9
Light
Full shade to part shade
Height
24–60 in
Bloom
Summer and Fall
Maintenance
Moderate
Native range
29 US states

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

About Northern Sea Oats

Flat oat-like seed heads dangle and rattle in wind, and it is one of very few ornamental grasses that performs properly in shade. It seeds itself around enthusiastically.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5.5 to 7
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
18 to 24 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Moderate

Similar to Northern Sea Oats

Other ornamental grasss with the same deer rating.

Where Northern Sea Oats grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone, and native to 29 of them. 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Northern Sea Oats

Is Northern Sea Oats deer resistant?
Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) 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 Northern Sea Oats grow in?
Northern Sea Oats is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Northern Sea Oats grow in shade?
Yes. Northern Sea Oats tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Northern Sea Oats get?
Mature height is roughly 24–60 in. Growth rate is moderate.

Browse from here

Every list Northern Sea Oats belongs to.

All ornamental grasss·Rarely damaged·Shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 5·Zone 6·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 .