Is Spurge deer resistant?
Euphorbia sp.
Plant typePerennialHardinessZones 4–9, genus rangeLightFull sun
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Spurge
Acrid milky sap makes the whole genus reliably deer-proof, and it also blisters skin, so wear gloves. Note that the Chameleon cultivar is rated worse than the rest and seeds everywhere.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Sharp, gritty. Will rot in wet soil
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Spurge
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- Anise HyssopAgastache sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Basket of GoldAurinia saxatilisZones 3–7Rarely damaged
- Bearded IrisIris germanicaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Bigleaf GoldenrayLigularia dentataZones 4–8Rarely damaged
- Bleeding HeartLamprocapnos spectabilisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Butter and EggsLinaria vulgarisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Where Spurge 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 Spurge belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Spurge
- Is Spurge deer resistant?
- Spurge (Euphorbia sp.) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Spurge grow in?
- Spurge is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Spurge grow in shade?
- No. Spurge wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- Is Spurge toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Spurge as toxic to dogs and cats. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.