Is Purple Loosestrife deer resistant?
Lythrum sp.
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Purple Loosestrife
One of the most damaging wetland invasives in North America, capable of replacing entire marsh plant communities, and banned across most states. A single plant produces over a million seeds. Do not plant it under any circumstances, whatever the deer rating says.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Tolerates wet feet
- Water
- High
- Spacing
- 24 to 35 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- High
Deer-resistant alternatives to Purple Loosestrife
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Purple Loosestrife keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Bearded IrisIris germanicaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Butter and EggsLinaria vulgarisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- False IndigoBaptisia australisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- HorehoundMarrubium vulgareZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- IrisIris sp.Zones 3–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Threadleaf CoreopsisCoreopsis verticillataZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Similar to Purple Loosestrife
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- AvensGeum sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Balloon FlowerPlatycodon grandiflorusZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- BellflowerCampanula glomerataZones 3–8Occasionally damaged
- Blanket FlowerGaillardia sp.Zones 3–10, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Bloody CranesbillGeranium sanguineumZones 3–9Occasionally damaged
- Cambridge GeraniumGeranium x cantabrigienseZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
Protecting Purple Loosestrife
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 Purple Loosestrife 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
Browse from here
Every list Purple Loosestrife belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Purple Loosestrife
- Is Purple Loosestrife deer resistant?
- Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum sp.) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Purple Loosestrife grow in?
- Purple Loosestrife is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Purple Loosestrife grow in shade?
- No. Purple Loosestrife wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- Is Purple Loosestrife invasive?
- Purple Loosestrife is listed as invasive or restricted in CT, MA, ME, MI, MN, NH, NY, OH, PA, VT, WI, IL, IN, IA, WA, OR, CO, MO. Deer leaving it alone is not a reason to plant it. Check your own state before buying.