Is Stonecrop deer resistant?

About Stonecrop

Succulent leaves that deer sometimes nibble in a drought and rarely destroy. In a wet year they ignore it entirely. The universal failure is flopping. A sedum that opens out from the middle in August, splayed flat with a bare centre, has been fed or watered or grown in shade, usually all three. It wants poor, sharp, sunny ground and no attention at all. If yours already flops, cut every stem back by half in late May. The Chelsea chop delays flowering slightly and produces a shorter, self-supporting plant. Leave the seed heads standing over winter: they hold snow well and are one of the few things worth looking at in a January border.

Deer-resistant alternatives to Stonecrop

Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Stonecrop keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.

• Anise HyssopAgastache sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
• Bearded IrisIris germanicaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
• Butter and EggsLinaria vulgarisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
• False IndigoBaptisia australisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
• HorehoundMarrubium vulgareZones 3–9Rarely damaged
• HorseradishArmoracia rusticanaZones 4–9Rarely damaged

Similar to Stonecrop

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 Stonecrop

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.
• Fencing a raised bedA deer jumps from ground level, so measure the barrier from the ground and not from the top of the bed.
• 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 Stonecrop 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 Stonecrop belongs to.

• All perennials
• Sometimes destroyed
• Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

• Zone 4
• Zone 5
• Zone 6
• Zone 7
• Zone 8
• Zone 9

Common questions about Stonecrop

Is Stonecrop deer resistant?

Stonecrop (Hylotelephium spectabile) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.

What hardiness zones does Stonecrop grow in?

Stonecrop is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.

Does Stonecrop grow in shade?

No. Stonecrop wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.

How big does Stonecrop get?

Mature height is roughly 12–24 in. Growth rate is moderate.

When does Stonecrop bloom?

Stonecrop flowers from August–October.