My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Pinxterbloom Azalea deer resistant?

Rhododendron periclymenoides

Pale pink pinxterbloom azalea flowers
Photo by Mason Brock, Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 4 of 4 · Frequently Severely Damaged

No. Deer will destroy this. Do not plant it unprotected.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 4–9
Light
Part shade
Height
48–120 in
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
Moderate
Native range
21 US states
Toxic to
dogs, cats, and horses

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

About Pinxterbloom Azalea

A lovely native deciduous azalea, fragrant and early, and heavily browsed. Being deciduous helps a little because the stems are bare through the worst of winter, but the spring buds are taken. Worth growing only inside fencing or with consistent repellent from bud break.

Protecting Pinxterbloom Azalea

Deer will destroy this without protection, so the question is which kind you are willing to pay for.

  1. 1How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
  2. 2What a deer fence costsMaterial ratios are stable even when prices are not, and installation reliably doubles the figure.
  3. 3Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
  4. 4Check 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.

What to plant instead of Pinxterbloom Azalea

Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, and rated better for deer. If Pinxterbloom Azalea keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.

Soil and care

Soil pH
4.5 to 6
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
47 to 71 in apart
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Moderate

Where Pinxterbloom Azalea grows

Hardy across every state on zone range alone, and native to 21 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 — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. 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 — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — native, and hardy. 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 — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — native, and hardy. 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 — hardy here. 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 Pinxterbloom Azalea

Is Pinxterbloom Azalea deer resistant?
Pinxterbloom Azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides) is rated Frequently Severely Damaged, step 4 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer will destroy this. Do not plant it unprotected.
What hardiness zones does Pinxterbloom Azalea grow in?
Pinxterbloom Azalea is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Pinxterbloom Azalea grow in shade?
Yes. Pinxterbloom Azalea tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Pinxterbloom Azalea get?
Mature height is roughly 48–120 in. Growth rate is slow.
Is Pinxterbloom Azalea toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Pinxterbloom Azalea 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.

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Every list Pinxterbloom Azalea belongs to.

All shrubs·Deer favorites·Part shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·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 .