Is Panicle Hydrangea deer resistant?
Hydrangea paniculata
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Panicle Hydrangea
The most reliable hydrangea in cold regions because it flowers on new wood, so a hard winter never costs you the display. Cut it back by a third each spring. Also the most sun-tolerant of the group. Flowers age from white through pink to russet and dry on the plant.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 71 to 118 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Low
Deer-resistant alternatives to Panicle Hydrangea
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Panicle Hydrangea keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Similar to Panicle 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 Panicle 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 Panicle 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 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
Browse from here
Every list Panicle Hydrangea belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Panicle Hydrangea
- Is Panicle Hydrangea deer resistant?
- Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Panicle Hydrangea grow in?
- Panicle Hydrangea is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Panicle Hydrangea grow in shade?
- Yes. Panicle Hydrangea tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Panicle Hydrangea get?
- Mature height is roughly 96–300 in. Growth rate is fast.
- Is Panicle Hydrangea toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Panicle 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.