Deer-Resistant and Deer Repellent Plants
Let’s take a look at what deer consider comfort food. The deer absolutely love narrow leaf evergreens such as arborvitae and firs, and if you have hosta, just put out a side of ranch with those. Daylilies and English ivy are also as good as gourmet. They also are drawn to plants that have taken some vitamins aka fertilizer.
Now, what deer are deterred by:
• Toxic plants are untouched such as poppies, foxgloves and daffodils.
• The nose knows! Deer have an extremely sensitive nose and various herbs such as sage and salvia, lavenders, peonies, and bearded irises annoy their nose. Strategically plant these types as a fence plant to keep the pests away from the “goodies.”
• Who likes to chew on cactus? Me neither! The great news is deer feel the same way, short needled pines work well, lambs ear does not go down easy and coneflowers with those spikey centers, OUCH!
There is no guarantee that the deer will not eat any of the plants listed above, if they get desperate they will eat to stay alive. However, we do have the inside secret to keeping the garden looking nice while the deer meander through in the morning and afternoon.
Annuals with Good Resistance
- Snapdragon
- Flowering Vinca
- Strawflower
- Heliotrope Hypoestes (Polka Dot)
- Ipomoea (Morning Glory)
- Lantana Lobularia (Sweet Alyssum)
- Nicotiana Ocimum (Basil)
- Ornamental Grasses
Perennials with Good Resistance
- Achillea (Yarrow)
- Aconitum (Monkshood)
- Aegopodium (Snow on the Moutnian)
- Agastache (Hyssop)
- Ajuga
- Alchemilla (Lady’s Mantle)
- Anemone
- Aquilegia (Columbine)
- Artemisia
- Aruncus (Goat’s Beard)
- Asarum (Ginger)
- Asclepias (Butterfly Weed)
- Astilbe
- Athyrium (Painted Fern)
- Baptisia (False Indigo)
- Bergenia
- Brunnera
- Camassia (Quamash)
- Centaurea (Bachelor’s Button)
- Cerastium (Snow in Summer)
- Ceratostigma (Plumbago)
- Chelone (Turtlehead)
- Cimicifuga (Bugbane)
- Clematis
- Convallaria (Lily of the Valley)
- Coreopsis
- Corydalis
- Crocosmia
- Cyrtomium (Holly Fern)
- Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)
- Digitalis (Foxglove)
- Echinacea
- Epimedium
- Heuchera
- Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed)
- Euphorbia
- Filipendula (Queen of the Prairie)
- Geum
- Gypsophila (Baby’s Breath) Helenium (Helen’s Flower)
Trees and shrubs Good Resistance
- Aronia (Chokeberry)
- Berberis (Barberry)
- Betula (Birch)
- Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)
- Buxus (Boxwood)
- Clethra Cornus (Dogwood)
- Cratageus (Hawthorn)
- Erica (Heath)
Deer Deterrent Garden Guide
Don’t Invite Them
Deer prefer to stay undercover, only coming out late in the day or early in the am to be vulnerable. This makes living near woods an issue. Deer are creatures of habit so don’t feed them corn to keep them away from you plants. When the corn runs out, they will feast on your plants immediately. Keep plants that the deer detest around your yard to discourage them from coming onto your property.
Scare Tactics
Because they are creatures of habit, if you scare the deer away often, they tend to not try to pass through as often. This can be done accomplished by hanging tin cans, noisemakers and motion sensor lights.
Smesl Tactics – The Longest Lasting Technique
This is an extremely simple method of keeping pests at bay. Repels-All, by Bonide, has a liquid deterrent that the pests detest. For covering larger areas, the Repels-All granules work great at triggering the fear and flight responses in a multitude of animal intruders. The granules last up to two months and the ingredients are all natural!