My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub · Taxaceae

Is Japanese Yew deer resistant?

Taxus cuspidata

Japanese yew with dark needles and red berry-like arils
Photo by Alpsdake, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 4 of 4 · Frequently Severely Damaged

No. Deer will destroy this. Do not plant it unprotected.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 4–7
Light
Part shade
Height
120–300 in
Maintenance
Moderate
Family
Taxaceae
Toxic to
cats, dogs, and horses

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

About Japanese Yew

Heavily browsed in winter, and one of the few plants that is genuinely dangerous to have eaten. Taxine alkaloids will kill a horse or a cow outright, and deer strip it with no apparent ill effect at all.

For a garden that means yew is close to unplantable where pressure is real. A hedge browsed to a browse line does not recover: yew is one of the few conifers that will resprout from old wood, but the regrowth is slow enough that you are looking at a disfigured hedge for years.

If you want a deer-safe evergreen of similar habit, boxwood is the usual substitute, and Japanese plum yew looks close enough that it is sold specifically as the deer-resistant alternative.

Protecting Japanese Yew

Deer will destroy this without protection, so the question is which kind you are willing to pay for.

  1. 1How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
  2. 2What a deer fence costsMaterial ratios are stable even when prices are not, and installation reliably doubles the figure.
  3. 3Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
  4. 4Check 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.

What to plant instead of Japanese Yew

Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, and rated better for deer. If Japanese Yew keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7.5
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Moderate
Fertility
Moderate
Spacing
47 to 94 in apart
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Moderate

Tolerances and uses

Drought
Moderate
Salt
Moderate
Pollinators
None

Evergreen·Attracts birds

Where Japanese Yew is used

2 guides on this site plant it, and say where and what beside it.

Where Japanese Yew grows

Hardy across 48 states 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 — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not 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 — not 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 Japanese Yew

Is Japanese Yew deer resistant?
Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata) is rated Frequently Severely Damaged, step 4 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer will destroy this. Do not plant it unprotected.
What hardiness zones does Japanese Yew grow in?
Japanese Yew is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Japanese Yew grow in shade?
Yes. Japanese Yew tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Japanese Yew get?
Mature height is roughly 120–300 in. Growth rate is slow.
Is Japanese Yew toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Japanese Yew as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.

Browse from here

Every list Japanese Yew belongs to.

All shrubs·Deer favorites·Part shade plants·Evergreen shrubs

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7

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 .