Is Oakleaf Hydrangea deer resistant?
Hydrangea quercifolia
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Oakleaf Hydrangea
The best hydrangea for a garden that has to look good in more than one season: white cones ageing to pink, deep burgundy autumn colour, and peeling cinnamon bark in winter. Native, drought-tolerant once established, and it flowers on old wood, so prune only right after flowering.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 71 to 118 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Deer-resistant alternatives to Oakleaf Hydrangea
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Oakleaf Hydrangea keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Similar to Oakleaf Hydrangea
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 Oakleaf Hydrangea
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 Oakleaf Hydrangea 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 Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- 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 9 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Oakleaf Hydrangea belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Oakleaf Hydrangea
- Is Oakleaf Hydrangea deer resistant?
- Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Oakleaf Hydrangea grow in?
- Oakleaf Hydrangea is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Oakleaf Hydrangea grow in shade?
- Yes. Oakleaf Hydrangea tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Oakleaf Hydrangea get?
- Mature height is roughly 48–96 in. Growth rate is moderate.
- Is Oakleaf Hydrangea toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Oakleaf Hydrangea 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.