Is Wintercreeper deer resistant?
Euonymus fortunei
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Wintercreeper
An evergreen groundcover that climbs when it finds a wall or trunk, and one of the most damaging invasive vines in the eastern United States, smothering forest floors and killing trees it climbs. Banned in several states. Euonymus scale disfigures it badly. Use pachysandra or barrenwort instead.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Average garden soil
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 24 to 47 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Deer-resistant alternatives to Wintercreeper
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Wintercreeper keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Protecting Wintercreeper
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 Wintercreeper 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 Wintercreeper belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Wintercreeper
- Is Wintercreeper deer resistant?
- Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Wintercreeper grow in?
- Wintercreeper is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Wintercreeper grow in shade?
- Yes. Wintercreeper tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Wintercreeper get?
- Mature height is roughly 168–384 in. Growth rate is fast.
- Is Wintercreeper toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Wintercreeper as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.
- Is Wintercreeper invasive?
- Wintercreeper is listed as invasive or restricted in KY, TN, OH, IN, IL, MO, VA, WV, NC, MD, PA, NJ. Deer leaving it alone is not a reason to plant it. Check your own state before buying.