Is Smith's Buckthorn deer resistant?
Rhamnus smithii
Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
Not listed by Rutgers NJAES. Rated deer-resistant by El Paso County CSU Extension, whose list is a single category, mapped conservatively to Seldom Severely Damaged.
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 autumn. 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.
- Antelope BitterbrushPurshia tridentataSeldom damaged
- Anthony Waterer SpireaSpiraea x bumaldaZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Apache PlumeFallugia paradoxaZones 6–10Seldom damaged
- Armstrong JuniperJuniperus chinensis 'Armstrongii'Zones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Autumn OliveElaeagnus umbellataZones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Autumn SageSalvia greggiiZones 6–9Seldom damaged
Where Smith's Buckthorn grows
Hardy across most of these 50 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
- Coloradonative
- 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 Mexiconative
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 2 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Smith's Buckthorn belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Smith's Buckthorn
- Is Smith's Buckthorn deer resistant?
- Smith's Buckthorn (Rhamnus smithii) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. 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.