Is Sundrops deer resistant?
Oenothera sp.
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Sundrops
Unlike the evening primroses it is related to, this one opens in daylight. Bright yellow cups over foliage that reddens in autumn. It spreads at the root more freely than expected, so give it room or divide it out annually.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Deer-resistant alternatives to Sundrops
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Sundrops 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 Sundrops
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 Sundrops
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.
- 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 Sundrops 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 Sundrops belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Sundrops
- Is Sundrops deer resistant?
- Sundrops (Oenothera sp.) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Sundrops grow in?
- Sundrops 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 Sundrops grow in shade?
- No. Sundrops wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.