Is Rugosa Rose deer resistant?
Rosa rugosa
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Rugosa Rose
The toughest rose available, thriving on pure sand and salt spray, and almost immune to the blackspot and mildew that plague hybrid teas. Large tomato-shaped hips are high in vitamin C. It suckers freely and is invasive on coastal dunes in parts of the northeast and Europe.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Sharp, gritty. Will rot in wet soil
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 47 to 71 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Low
Deer-resistant alternatives to Rugosa Rose
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Rugosa Rose keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Similar to Rugosa Rose
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 Rugosa Rose
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 Rugosa Rose grows
Hardy across most of these 48 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
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- 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 Rugosa Rose belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Rugosa Rose
- Is Rugosa Rose deer resistant?
- Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Rugosa Rose grow in?
- Rugosa Rose is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Rugosa Rose grow in shade?
- No. Rugosa Rose wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Rugosa Rose get?
- Mature height is roughly 48–72 in. Growth rate is fast.