My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Smith's Buckthorn deer resistant?

Rhamnus smithii

Smith's Buckthorn
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 4–8
Light
Full sun
Height
120–120 in
Bloom
Spring and Summer
Maintenance
Moderate
Native range
2 US states

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

About Smith's Buckthorn

Very little about it reads as ornamental, which is rather the point. Dark glossy leaves on an upright shrub of six to ten feet, flowers so slight that the listings record them as insignificant, black fruit late in summer, yellow in fall. It is a screen plant, and deer tend to walk past it.

Where it goes wrong is elevation. This is a foothills shrub, reliable from about 5,000 feet with a ceiling at 7,500, and above that line it is not worth attempting. Below it the thing is undemanding — clay, loam or sand all suit, and it is completely xeric once established. The word carrying the weight there is established, and that first season of moderate watering is the one people skip.

Two practical notes. Black fruit appears only on female plants, so a single shrub may set none. And it takes spring pruning well if you would rather lift it into a multi-stemmed small tree than leave it as a screen.

Similar to Smith's Buckthorn

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Smith's Buckthorn grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone, and native to 2 of them. 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 — native, and hardy. 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 — 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 — 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 — native, and hardy. 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.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Smith's Buckthorn

Is Smith's Buckthorn deer resistant?
Smith's Buckthorn (Rhamnus smithii) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Smith's Buckthorn grow in?
Smith's Buckthorn is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Smith's Buckthorn grow in shade?
No. Smith's Buckthorn wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Smith's Buckthorn get?
Mature height is roughly 120–120 in. Growth rate is moderate.

Browse from here

Every list Smith's Buckthorn belongs to.

All shrubs·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8

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 .