Is Rhubarb deer resistant?
Rheum rhabarbarum
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Rhubarb
Oxalic acid in the leaves makes them genuinely poisonous, which is why deer leave the whole plant alone and why only the stalks are eaten. Do not pick anything in the first year, and stop harvesting by midsummer to let the crown build reserves. Remove flower spikes as they appear.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 6.8
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 35 to 47 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Rhubarb
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- African LilyAgapanthus sp.Zones 8–11, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AsparagusAsparagus officinalisZones 2–9Seldom damaged
- AsterAster sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AstilbeAstilbe x arendsiiZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Baby's BreathGypsophila sp.Zones 3–9, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- BastardsageEriogonum wrightiiZones 5–10Seldom damaged
Where Rhubarb 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
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Every list Rhubarb belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Rhubarb
- Is Rhubarb deer resistant?
- Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Rhubarb grow in?
- Rhubarb is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Rhubarb grow in shade?
- No. Rhubarb wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- Is Rhubarb toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Rhubarb 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.