My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Virginia Sweetspire deer resistant?

Itea virginica

Drooping white flower spikes of sweetspire
Photo by SB Johnny, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 5–9
Light
Part shade
Height
48–96 in
Bloom
Spring and Summer
Maintenance
Low
Native range
21 US states

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

About Virginia Sweetspire

Drooping white flower tassels in early summer and crimson fall color that holds into December, later than almost any other shrub. Tolerates wet ground and part shade. Suckers gently into a broad low mass.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5 to 6.5
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
High
Spacing
47 to 71 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Virginia Sweetspire

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Virginia Sweetspire grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone, and native to 21 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. 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 — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. 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 Virginia Sweetspire

Is Virginia Sweetspire deer resistant?
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) 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 Virginia Sweetspire grow in?
Virginia Sweetspire is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Virginia Sweetspire grow in shade?
Yes. Virginia Sweetspire tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Virginia Sweetspire get?
Mature height is roughly 48–96 in. Growth rate is moderate.

Browse from here

Every list Virginia Sweetspire belongs to.

All shrubs·Seldom damaged·Part shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

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 .