My Deer Garden

Plant record · Vine

Is Wisteria deer resistant?

Wisteria floribunda

Long hanging racemes of purple wisteria
Photo by Raul654, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Vine
Hardiness
Zones 4–9
Light
Full sun
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
High
Toxic to
dogs, cats, and horses

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

About Wisteria

Spectacular and genuinely destructive: mature stems can crush gutters, lift roof tiles and strangle trees, so it needs serious metal support and annual pruning twice a year. Japanese wisteria is invasive across much of the southeast. Grafted plants flower years earlier than seedlings.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Moderate
Spacing
118 to 236 in apart
Growth rate
Fast
Maintenance
High

Similar to Wisteria

Other vines with the same deer rating.

Where Wisteria grows

Hardy across every state on zone range alone. 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 — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. 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 — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. 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 — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. 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 — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. 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.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Wisteria

Is Wisteria deer resistant?
Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) 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 Wisteria grow in?
Wisteria is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Wisteria grow in shade?
No. Wisteria wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
Is Wisteria toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Wisteria 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 Wisteria invasive?
Wisteria is listed as invasive or restricted in GA, AL, MS, TN, NC, SC, VA, TX, AR, LA, FL, KY, MD. Deer leaving it alone is not a reason to plant it. Check your own state before buying.

Browse from here

Every list Wisteria belongs to.

All vines·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·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 .