Is Pachysandra deer resistant?
Pachysandra terminalis
Plant typeGroundcoverHardinessZones 4–9LightFull shade to part shadeMature height6–12 inBloomSpring
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
About Pachysandra
The standard evergreen groundcover for shade, and reliably ignored by deer. It escapes into woodland in the northeast, so consider the native Allegheny spurge instead where that matters.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 10 to 14 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Pachysandra
Other groundcovers with the same deer rating.
- Allegheny SpurgePachysandra procumbensZones 5–9Rarely damaged
- BarrenwortEpimedium sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- BearberryArctostaphylos uva-ursiZones 3–7Rarely damaged
- Bishop's WeedAegopodium podagrariaZones 3–10Rarely damaged
- BugleweedAjuga reptansZones 3–10Rarely damaged
- Lily of the ValleyConvallaria majalisZones 3–7Rarely damaged
Where Pachysandra 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.
- 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
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
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Every list Pachysandra belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Pachysandra
- Is Pachysandra deer resistant?
- Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Pachysandra grow in?
- Pachysandra is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Pachysandra grow in shade?
- Yes. Pachysandra tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Pachysandra get?
- Mature height is roughly 6–12 in. Growth rate is moderate.