Is Shore Juniper deer resistant?
Juniperus conferta
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Shore Juniper
A low spreading juniper from Japanese coastal dunes, so it takes salt spray and pure sand better than almost any other evergreen. Needs full sun and sharp drainage, and rots in heavy ground.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Sharp, gritty. Will rot in wet soil
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 71 to 94 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Tolerances and uses
- Evergreen
Deer-resistant alternatives to Shore Juniper
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Shore Juniper keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Similar to Shore Juniper
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 Shore Juniper
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 Shore Juniper grows
Hardy across most of these 46 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
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Shore Juniper belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Shore Juniper
- Is Shore Juniper deer resistant?
- Shore Juniper (Juniperus conferta) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Shore Juniper grow in?
- Shore Juniper is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Shore Juniper grow in shade?
- No. Shore Juniper wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Shore Juniper get?
- Mature height is roughly 12–18 in. Growth rate is moderate.