Deer resistant trees, shrubs, and groundcovers are plants deer have shunned in many gardens. Both comments and pings are currently closed. As humans move into wilderness areas, displaced wild deer scavenge wherever they can find food, often in vegetable gardens and landscaping. A tough perennial native to areas of North America, it bursts forth with clusters of orange flowers in summer. Olea spp. REC, Lower Eastern Shore Deer-Resistant Native Plant Species Whether you love deer or not, no one wants them to damage their gardens or landscaping. Native Deer “Resistant” Plants Herbaceous Plants Achilliea spp.Yarrow Aconitum uncinatum Monkshood Actaea pachypoda White Baneberry Agastache scrophulariifolia Purple Giant Hyssop Ageratina altissima White Snakeroot Allium cernuum Nodding Onion Amsonia spp. They will also graze on perennials, clover and other plants. I've put together a list of what I think are the best deer resistant plants for our area of South Carolina. My words of advice have always been to use all plants that are the “stinky, sticky, fuzzy or thorny.” Here is my list, which is based on numerous articles, research, observation and experience. Deer can also cause significant landscape damage. It should always be noted that especially in winter, when pickings are scarce, a hungry deer will eat even the most unlikely plants. It also depends on time of year, what else is available for the deer to eat and more. Virtually all salvias (sages) are deer-resistant, but this is one of the standout native representatives. When their favorite foods are gone, they will eat whatever remains, even toxic plants such as milkweed. Care: Full sun in well-drained to moist well-drained soil, drought tolerant & deer resistant. $0.00. Unlike trees, shrubs are versatile, come in many varieties, and can be planted in many different areas. Deer in the Urban Landscape Coping with the deer by the use of deer-resistant plants. 1 | Native Shrubs for Wildlife. Look for this Plant at Your Local Garden Center. Check out some of the best deer resistant plants prone to thriving in Wisconsin. See also leaf burn times. Arkansas Deer Resistant Plants . There are no deer "Proof" plants, but there are ones that they are much less likely to eat. If you have a deer problem in your neighborhood, it's a good idea to draw heavily from the group of plants you see below, all of which are rarely browsed. Unsheared shrubs reach 12 feet high and wide. I’m focusing on three factors: deer-resistant, drought tolerance and low-maintenance. Central Maryland What’s deer-resistant to me, could be the deer in your neighborhood’s favorite plant! biflorum 7. pinxter azalea, Rhododendron periclymenoides … If there is one thing gardeners have in common, it is the need to ward off unwelcome wildlife. Euphorbia spp. The plants you'll find in this slide show have proven deer resistant for many gardeners -- we hope they'll do the same for you. Some native plant species are favorite food sources for white tailed deer. Whorls of purple-blue flowers wave on wiry stalks above a mound of gray-green foliage. Although in some plant catalogs these shrubs are promoted as deer-resistant, they are in fact readily consumed by various mammals and not recommended for locations frequented by white-tailed deer, cattle, or sheep. This deer resistant shrub is a real beauty, glamming up your garden from spring through fall. They love plants with big, green, moist leaves. We embody the University's land-grant mission with a commitment to eliminate hunger, preserve our natural resources, improve quality of life, and empower the next generation through world-class education. An explanation of these numbers is given at the bottom of this table. Deer Resistant Native Plants. Additionally, most young trees are like dessert to deer. About Zone 8 Deer Resistant Plants. Our guide to deer resistant shrubs will show you how to fill your landscapes with privacy screens, purple flowers, trees in the shade and sun, and drought tolerant, evergreen hedges that act as a fence and keep deer away! ... Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is one of the few native evergreen shrubs that deer largely ignore. 1. If deer are hungry enough, they will eat practically any kind of plant. By Dr. Sara Tangren, Sr. Deer Resistant Native Plants These plants were found to resist deer brows during a three year study in Wildwood Missouri. And of course, there are deer repellents, but they need to be applied frequently and the deer become sensitized to them over time. You need to know what plants to use to prevent them from turning your yard into a salad bar. Examples include: 1. white turtlehead, Chelone glabra, the host plant for our state butterfly 2. turk's cap lily, Lillium superbum 3. Threadleaf Bluestar Antennaria plantaginifolia Pussy Toes Apocynum cannabinum Indian Hemp, Dogbane An explanation of these numbers is given at the bottom of this table. by Forrest W. Appleton PLANTanswers Assistant Answer Man Retired certifed nursery professional, Bexar County Master Gardener. Look for this Plant at Your Local Garden Center. February 14, 2016 April 4, 2018. You can use them to create a natural barrier to protect your more vulnerable plants. Deer are a big problem for those who live among them. ‘American’ Hydrangea Dramatic improvements What we are left with are native and adapted non-native species. Note that no plant is completely "deer-proof" , particularly when deer densities are high. Topic: Deer Resistant, Shrubs Title: Native deer-resistant plants for Virginia Answered by: Nan Hampton, September 26. Note: Woody plants that are not browsed can still be killed by buck rubs. Deer Proof Resistant Plants Deer are browsers – they eat most shrubs and any tree branch they can reach. And don’t forget that deer get hungry and thirsty in the late summer and will eat almost anything with any moisture in the leaves making your beautifully irrigated and fertilized plants absolutely irresistible! Deer Resistant Native Plants*** ***It is important to note that the species listed are deer resistant not deer-proof. Lyme disease, vehicle collision, and crop loss are examples. There are lots of good options for fencing materials that are unobtrusive and do the job. Note that no plant is completely "deer-proof", particularly when deer densities are high. Lisa's Landscape & Design ♦ 02/16/2016 ♦ 18 Comments. These aren’t just deer-resistant plants: they won’t merely survive a nibble or two. Western Maidenhair Fern. Annuals. Deer resistant vegetation is a key to successful gardening in modern Maryland, but lists of what plants are deer resistant vary so much they are sometimes in direct contradiction with one another. Virescens Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata ‘Virescens’) is native to the western coast & widely used deer resistant shrubs in the United States. It is very similar to the American Arborvitae of the east coast, which deer devour, so it seems like they should eat this one, too. The flowers bloom repeatedly throughout the summer. Deer Resistant, Deer tolerant, Native Plants Deer resistant, Deer tolerant, Deer tolerance Conflicts between deer and landscaped spaces are due to the urbanization of rural areas and increase when deer are under stress. Plant NoVA Natives makes using native plants in the Northern Virginia landscape easy and fun, ... 1= Resistant to deer browse . As humans move into wilderness areas, displaced wild deer scavenge wherever they can find food, often in vegetable … No plant is ever 100% deer proof, but here's flowering shrubs that will give you a better fighting chance. Fortunately, you can plant certain trees, shrubs and grasses that are less likely to be eaten. Deer Resistant Shade Plants (15 Beautiful Perennials and Shrubs That Deer Hate) Updated: August 15, 2020 by Wanda Simone As many of you know, both my mother and I … Whorls of purple-blue flowers wave on wiry stalks above a mound of gray-green foliage. If you have ever had your garden ravaged and chewed to a stub, you may know what true frustration is, and you will also understand where our much used phrase “oh dear” comes from! Cultivars available with pink, white, cream, salmon flowers. The plants you'll find in this slide show have proven deer resistant for many gardeners -- we hope they'll do the same for you. Although red cedar (above) is deer resistant, when deer are overpopulated they will eat the lower twigs, leaving this rather characteristic tree silhouette. Consider a fence. Using landscape plants NOT preferred by deer … If the best defense is a good offense, then it makes sense to start by choosing deer-resistant plants. Not everyone lives in a spot where deer are an issue, but if you do, you definitely want to keep reading this Deer Resistant Plant List. 1800’s in America. Deer-resistant Plants. However, deer will eat anything when they get hungry enough. Overall, deer tend to avoid plants that have hairy leaves, thorns, or strong smells. Examples include: Buying Native Plants https://mdflora.org/nurseries.html, Deterring Deer and Other Critters https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/master-gardeners/Howardcounty/GIEI/Deterring%20Deer%20and%20Other%20Critters%20-%20%20kp.pdf, Recommended Native Plants https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/recommended-native-plants-maryland. Plants That Repel Deer. Agent Associate, University of Maryland Extension, Home & Garden Information Center,  May 2019. Our fencing includes netting, electric fence around the vegetable gardens, and game fence. The vast majority of holly species are evergreen and deer-resistant. This list provides a guide and was developed from a variety of sources which may not all be equally reliable. Some plants, both native and ornamental, used for landscaping are preferred as forage by deer. Although Maryland has hundreds of thousands of acres of natural areas in which native plants could thrive, species susceptible to deer are literally being eaten into oblivion. Shrubs That Are Deer-Resistant. Most people love the sight of a deer at the side of the road, docilely chewing on some grass, but if you’ve ever had your garden eaten down to the roots, you might be more frustrated with our ruminant friends. Deer are maddening, complicated critters: The deer in your yard may avoid a specific plant, but the deer down the street may find that a favorite. If you can't tolerate indiscriminate munching of your foliage, fencing around the prized plant is the most effective method to eliminate damage. Using landscape plants NOT preferred by deer … Ferns, Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes: Adiantum pedatum (maidenhair fern) Arkansas gardeners love to plant a variety of flowers and trees but often deer love these plants just as much as we do. By Melanie Hopper. Deer-Resistant Evergreen Shrubs. This is because deer food preferences vary depending on what else is available to eat at any particular time and location. It Keep nature in nature! Please use the comments box below. Unfortunately, deer also have a taste for it, therefore it is useless to plant it where deer populations have fallen out of balance and turned into pests. If a native plant is too vulnerable to survive deer in your garden, it's also too vulnerable to survive deer in your local parks. Generally California native plants tolerant California deer and fire much better than plants from anywhere else. Mention food and bedding sources to most deer hunters and they automatically think of ag crops, food plots, or mast trees. REC, Native Plants for Meadows in MD's Coastal Plain, https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/master-gardeners/Howardcounty/GIEI/Deterring%20Deer%20and%20Other%20Critters%20-%20%20kp.pdf, https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/recommended-native-plants-maryland, all orchids, for example the lady slippers, as shown at left. I’m focusing on three factors: deer-resistant, drought tolerance and low-maintenance. Space plants 6 feet apart for a fast growing, dense screen or hedge. That being said, there are plants that deer prefer to eat, and there are plants that deer rarely eat. Deer may munch on the fruits of this native Wisconsin plant. But if deer are a problem in your garden, you may be able to discourage them–most of the time–with your plant choices. It’s a large group of shrubby plants with sizes to fit any garden. Here we feature shrub varieties that we've found to be resistant to deer and other pests. However, deer will eat anything when they get hungry enough. Deer will browse even on the most resistant plants when faced with starvation. Jun 8, 2018 - Stop pulling your hair out, there are tons of choices of what you can grow without the deer nibbling on it. Deer Resistant Shade Plants (15 Beautiful Perennials and Shrubs That Deer Hate) Updated: August 15, 2020 by Wanda Simone As many of you know, both my mother and I have fairly large shade gardens. As we lose these plant species, we also lose the pollinators, insects, and songbirds that depend upon them. The only true solution to deer resistant gardening, or to the conservation of native vegetation in natural areas, is to bring the deer population back down to sustainable levels. Some native plant species are favorite food sources for white tailed deer. In general, watering makes the plant more fire resistant and less deer resistant. There are no plants that are completely deer proof. Threadleaf Bluestar Antennaria plantaginifolia Pussy Toes Apocynum cannabinum Indian Hemp, Dogbane About Zone 8 Deer Resistant Plants. The flowers bloom repeatedly throughout the summer. Native: Caucasus Introduced to gardens in 1804 when it was sent from the Caucasus Mountains to Europe. Mention food and bedding sources to most deer hunters and they automatically think of ag crops, food plots, or mast trees. WOODY Ornamental Plants RARELY Damaged by Deer. Home / Deer Resistant Native Plants. Deer avoid plants with fuzzy leaves and those that are strongly aromatic. Plants to try where deer are problematic include: Shrubs, climbers and trees. Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia, Zones 3-9, shrub, full sun to partial shade) Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina, Zones 2-6, shrub, full sun to partial shade) Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea, Zones 2-8, shrub, full sun to partial shade) Hay-scented Fern (Dennstaedtia … Adiantum aleuticum. And there are some shrubs that deer find distasteful. 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