My Deer Garden

Plant record · Groundcover · Cupressaceae

Is Siberian Cypress deer resistant?

Microbiota decussata

Siberian cypress growing as a low spreading evergreen mat
Photo by epopov, CC BY 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 1 of 4 · Rarely Damaged

Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.

Type
Groundcover
Hardiness
Zones 3–7
Light
Part shade
Height
12–18 in
Maintenance
Low
Family
Cupressaceae

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

About Siberian Cypress

A rare thing: a genuinely deer-proof evergreen groundcover that takes shade. Almost every other evergreen at that height is a juniper, and junipers want full sun.

It looks like a low spreading conifer, lacy and bright green through summer, turning bronze or purple in winter. That color change alarms people the first year. It is normal and it greens up again in spring.

The one hard requirement is drainage. It will not tolerate wet feet and rots quickly in heavy clay. It also dislikes reflected heat, so a hot dry bank in the south is the wrong place despite the drainage being right. Cool shade with moving air is where it does best.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5.5 to 7
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Moderate
Fertility
Low
Spacing
35 to 47 in apart
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low

Tolerances and uses

Drought
Moderate
Salt
Low
Pollinators
None

Evergreen

Similar to Siberian Cypress

Other groundcovers with the same deer rating.

Where Siberian Cypress grows

Hardy across 48 states on zone range alone. 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 — hardy here. 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 — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. 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 — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. 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 — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Siberian Cypress

Is Siberian Cypress deer resistant?
Siberian Cypress (Microbiota decussata) is rated Rarely Damaged, step 1 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer almost always leave this alone.
What hardiness zones does Siberian Cypress grow in?
Siberian Cypress is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Siberian Cypress grow in shade?
Yes. Siberian Cypress tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Siberian Cypress get?
Mature height is roughly 12–18 in. Growth rate is slow.

Browse from here

Every list Siberian Cypress belongs to.

All groundcovers·Rarely damaged·Part shade plants·Evergreen shrubs

Hardy in these zones

Zone 3·Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7

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 .