There are few things more frustrating to a gardener than having deer dine on much-cherished plants. Even if you are prepared to tolerate deer damage because you think these animals are picturesque, take heed. Deer are creatures of habit. Once they perceive your garden as a safe and delectable haven, they will visit regularly.
An increase in white-tailed deer populations and a decrease of their natural habitat have set up a situation in home landscapes, near woodlands where palatable ornamental plants become alternative food sources for deer. When winter approaches and food sources become less available, feeding on leaves, stems, and buds of woody plants becomes more apparent. Male deer also cause damage by rutting or rubbing their antlers along the stems or trunks of trees and stripping off bark.
Deer should be discouraged immediately when they first appear. Young trees and shrubs can suffer permanent damage from deer browsing. Deer damage is usually identified by the torn or jagged appearance of branches or twigs compared to the clean-cut feeding damage caused by rabbits and squirrels.
How, exactly, do you discourage deer? There are four basic options:
- Fencing. You can physically restrict deer by enclosing your entire yard or garden in fencing at least six feet tall. If you only have a few trees or shrubs to protect, you can put barrier fencing around these individual plants. Cost and aesthetics are the major drawbacks to this option.
- Repellents. Homemade and commercial repellents are common control methods to discourage deer, but their effectiveness and success are based on several factors. Most have a bitter taste or foul odor, which discourage deer from feeding. Snow and rainfall can dissipate some materials so reapplication is frequently needed. Some repellents simply do not weather well even without rain. If food sources are scarce, deer may simply ignore the repellents, despite the taste or odor.
- Predators. A large, noisy dog is a good deer deterrent. If you don't have a dog, you can hang shiny tape or strips from branches, or place inflated balls, whirlygigs, or other moving objects in the yard to startle deer with sudden movement. You'll have to rotate these frequently, however, or deer will soon realize that they are not in danger from these objects.
- Deer-resistant plants. If they are hungry enough and food is scarce enough, deer will eat almost anything. However, there are a number of plants that deer don't find particularly palatable. Using these plants in your landscape is often the most cost-effective, least time consuming, and most aesthetically pleasing solution.
In this pamphlet, we offer a list of trees and shrubs not favored by deer. However, deer-browsing resistance of any plant species may change due to fluctuations in deer populations, alternative food availability, and environmental factors.
TREES
Common Name Scientific Name
Bald-cypress Taxodium distichum
Beech Fagus spp.
Birch Betula spp.
Catalpa Catalpa spp.
Chestnut Castanea spp
Dawn redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Giant arborvitae Thuja plicata
Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba
Ironwood Ostrya virginiana
Japanese tree lilac Syringa reticulata
Larch Larix spp.
Black locust Robinia pseudoacacia
Honey-locust Gleditsia triacanthos
Redbud Cercis canadensis
Sassafras Sassafras albidum
Smoke tree Cotinus spp.
Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum
Sweet-gum Liquidambar styraciflua
Spruce Picea spp.
Sycamore Platanus occidentalis
Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera
Shrubs
Common Name Scientific Name
Boxwood Buxus spp.
Leatherwood Dirca palustris
Coralberry/Snowberry Symphoricarpos spp.
Forsythia Forsythia spp.
Japanese kerria Kerria japonica
Common lilac Syringa vulgaris
Oregon grape-holly Mahonia aquifolium
Smoke bush Cotinus spp
Spicebush Lindera benzoin
Spirea Spiraea spp.
Carolina allspice Calycanthus floridus
Witch hazel Hamamelis spp.
Ground Covers
Common Name Scientific Name
Barren strawberry Waldsteinia fragarioides
Bergenia Bergenia cordifolia
Bugleweed Ajuga reptans
Bunchberry Cornus canadensis
Catmint Nepeta x faassenii
Epimedium Epimedium spp.
Ferns Numerous species
Hens and chicks Sempervivum spp.
Juniper Juniperus spp.
Lady's mantle Alchemilla mollis
Lamium Lamium spp.
Lily of the valley Convallaria majalis
Lily turf Liriope spicata
Lungwort Pulmonaria spp.
Mosses --------------
Pachysandra Pachysandra spp.
Potentilla Potentilla spp
Sedum Sedum spp.
Snow-in-summer Cerastium tomentosum
Sweet woodruff Galium odoratum
Vinca Vinca minor
Violet Viola spp.
Wild ginger Asarum canadense
Wild strawberry Fragaria spp
Perennial Vines
Common Name Scientific Name
Akebia Akebia quinata
Bittersweet Celastrus scandens
Clematis Clematis spp.
Grape Vitis coignetiae
Honeysuckle Lonicera spp.
Ivy, Boston Parthenocissus tricuspidata
Silver lace vine Polygonum aubertii
Trumpet creeper Campsis radicans
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Wisteria Wisteria sinensis
Hardy Bulbs
Common Name Scientific Name
Autumn crocus Colchicum autumnalis
Crown imperial Fritillaria imperialis
Daffodil Narcissus spp.
Grape hyacinth Muscari spp.
Glory-of-the-snow Chionodoxa luciliae
Ornamental onion Allium spp.
Siberian scilla Scilla sibirica
Snowdrops Galanthus nivalis
Winter aconite Eranthis hyemalis
Annuals and Biennials
Common Name Scientific Name
Ageratum Ageratum houstonianum
Alyssum Lobularia maritima
Candytuft Iberis sempervirens
Forget-me-not Myosotis spp.
Four o'clock Mirabilis jalapa
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea
Heliotrope Heliotropium arborescens
Larkspur Delphinium spp.
Lobelia Lobelia spp.
Marigold Tagetes spp.
Mimulus Mimulus spp.
Morning glory Ipomoea spp.
Moonflower Ipomoea spp.
Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
Petunia Petunia spp.
Poppy Papaver spp.
Salvia, Sage Salvia spp.
Snapdragon Antirrhinum majus
Stocks Matthiola spp.
Sunflower Helianthus annuus
Sweet William Dianthus spp.
Mexican sunflower Tithonia rotundifolia
Hardy Perennials
Common Name Scientific Name
Monkshood Aconitum spp.
Anemone Anemone spp.
Artemisia Artemisia spp.
Astilbe Astilbe spp.
Bee Balm Monarda spp.
Bergenia Bergenia cordifolia
Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa
Columbine Aquilegia spp.
Coreopsis Coreopsis spp.
Cranesbill Geranium spp.
Fleabane daisy Erigeron x hybridus
Foam flower Tiarella cordifolia
Gentian Gentiana spp.
Geum Geum spp.
Goldenrod Solidago spp.
Hellebore Helleborus nigra
Hens & chicks Sempervivum spp.
Hibiscus Hibiscus spp.
Iris Iris spp.
Jacob's ladder Polemonium caeruleum
Rose campion Lychnis coronaria
Marsh marigold Caltha palustris
Meadow rue Thalictrum spp.
Meadowsweet Filipendula spp.
Peony Paeonia spp.
Phlox Phlox divaricata
Pinks Dianthus spp.
Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea
Rock cress Arabis caucasica
Russian sage Perovskia atriplicifolia
Salvia, sage Salvia spp.
Sedum Sedum spp.
Shasta daisy Chrysanthemum
Snakeroot Eupatorium rugosum
Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale
Snow-in-summer Cerastium tomentosum
Speedwell Veronica spp.
Toadflax Linaria spp.
Valerian Valeriana officinalis
Violet Viola spp.
Yarrow Achillea spp.
Herbs
Common Name Scientific Name
Angelica Angelica archangelica
Artemisia Artemisia absinthum
Basil Ocimum basilicum
Borage Borago officinalis
Catmint Nepeta x faassenii
Chamomile Matricaria spp.
Chives Allium schoenoprasum
Comfrey Symphytum x rubrum
Dill Anethum graveolens
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare
Feverfew Tanacetum parthenium
Germander Teucrium chamaedrys
Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis
Lamb's ears Stachys byzantina
Lavender Lavandula angustifolia
Lemon balm Melissa officinalis
Mint Mentha spp.
Mullein Verbascum spp.
Oregano Origanum vulgare
Parsley Petroselinum spp.
Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis
Rue Ruta graveolens
Sage Salvia officinalis
Savory Satureja montana
Tansy Tanacetum coccineum
Thyme Thymus spp.