Deer Resistant Trees and Shrubs
As any homeowner who has had the menace of deer in their landscape knows that they can be a major nascence. Unfortunately no plant is fully deer resistant, although there are many varieties that deer should resist to eat. Severe browsing damage can be found in hard long winters, freezing cold temperatures, or drought where deer tend to eat almost anything that our in their path. Heavy deer damage can also be done in early spring when new growth is produced on plants; the deer are starving and again are looking for food for themselves and their young. Fortunately there are deer repellants, deer resident plants and strategies that homeowners can incorporate to lessen the chance of deer feeding on you landscape.
TIPSAvoid plantings near or where deer pathways persist.
Breaking deer barriers with fencing rocks, boulders and the rotation of repeat application of smell and taste repellents.
You may want to protect a specific plant specimen or garden by either entirely covering the shrub or placing light chicken wire type fencing around the area.
Use commercial or Deer Repellants such as blood meal or Milorganite fertilizer, Natural Deer Solutions, Liquid Fence or even strongly scented soaps and mothballs can be placed in a sock and then hung on stakes throughout the problem areas in your yard.
The following is a list of plants that deer typically don't eat, good luck.
Annuals: STRONG RESISTENCE
Ageratum
Anturrhinum (Snapdragon)
Canna
Catharanthus (Flowering Vinca)
Cleome
Helichrysum (Strawflower)
Heliotrope
Hypoestes
Ipomoea (Morning Glory)
Lantana
Lobularia (Sweet Alyssum)
Nicotiana
Ocimum (Basil)
Ornamental Grasses
Petroselinum (Parsley)
Rosmarinus (Rosemary)
Salvia farinacea (Blue Salvia)
Senecio (Dusty Miller)
Tagetes (Marigold)
Verbena
Annuals : GOOD RESISTENCE
Alocasia (Elephant's Ear)
Anethum (Dill)
Begonia
Caladium
Celosia
Cosmos
Caladium
Cyclamen
Dahlia
Dianthus
Gazania
Gerbera
Gladiolus
Helianthus (Sunflower)
Lobelia
Osteospermum
Pansy
Perilla
Pelargonium (Geranium)
Petunia
Scaevola
Tropaelum (Nasturtium)
Viola
Zinnia
Annuals: POOR RESISTANCE
Impatiens
Tulips
Perennials: STRONG RESISTENCE
Acanthus
Achillea (Yarrow)
Aconitum (Monkshood)
Acorus (Sweetflag)
Aegopodium (Bishop's Weed)
Agastache (Hyssop)
Ajuga
Alchemilla (Lady's Mantle)
Allium (Onions, Chives)
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)
Cimicigua (Bugbane)
Clematis
Colchicum (Autumn Crocus)
Convallaria (Lily of the Valley
Coreopsis
Corydalis
Crocosmia
Cyrtomium (Holly Fern)
Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)
Digitalis (Foxglove)
Echinacea
Epimedium
Eranths (Winter Aconite)
Heuchera
Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed)
Euphorbia
Filipendula (Queen of the Prairie)
Fritillaria (Crown Imperial)
Galanthus (Snowdrop)
Geum
Gypsophila (Baby's Breath)
Helenium (Helen's Flower)
Helleborus (Lenten Rose)
Hyacinth
Iberis (Candytuft)
Lamium/Lamiastrum
Lavandula (Lavender)
Leucanthemum (Shasta Daisy)
Liatris (Gayfeather)
Ligularia
Linum (Flax)
Lupinus
Lychnis (Rose Campion)
Lythrum (Loosestrife)
Matteuccia (Ostrich Fern)
Mentha (Mint)
Monarda (BeeBalm)
Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)
Myostis (Forget Me Not)
Narcissus (Daffodil)
Nepeta (Catmint)
Oenothera (Evening Primrose)
Origanum (Oregano)
Ornamental Grasses
Osmuda (Cinnamon Fern)
Pachysandra
Paenoia
Papaver (Poppy)
Perovskia (Russian Sage)
Platycodon (Balloon Flower)
Polemonium (Jacob's Ladder)
Pulmonaria (Lungwort)
Pyrethrum (Painted Daisy)
Salvia (Meadows Sage)
Santolina (Lavender-Cotton
Scabiosa (Pin-Cushion)
Scilla (Squill)
Solidago (Goldenrod)
Stachys (Lanmb's Ear)
Tanacetum (Tansy)
Thymus (Thyme)
Tiarella (Foamflower)
Verbascum (Mullein)
Veronica (Speedwell)
Vinca (Myrtle)
Perennials: GOOD RESISTENCE
Armeria (Sea Thrift)
Aster
Bellis (English Daisy)
Campanula
Chrysanthermum
Clematis
Delphinium
Dianthus
Erigeron (Fleabane)
Eryngium (Sea Holly)
Gaillardia (Blanket Flwer)
Galium (Sweet Woodruff)
Gaura
Geranium (Biokova)
Hedera (Ivy
Hibiscus
Hypericum (St. John's Wort)
Iris
Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)
Lilium
Lobelia (Cardinal Flowers)
Lychnis (Maltese Cross)
Lysimachia
Penstemon
Phlox (any)
Physostegia (Obedient Plant)
Primula (Primrose)
Saponaria (Soapwort)
Sedum
Sempervivum (Hens & Chicks)
Sidalcea (Checkermallow)
Stokesia (Stoke's Aster)
Thalictrum (Meadow Rue)
Tiarella (Foam Flower)
Tradescantia (Spiderwort)
Tricyrtis (Toad Lily)
Trollius (Globe Flower)
Perennials: POOR RESISTENCE
Alcea (Hollyhock)
Geranium
Fragaria (Strawberry)
Hermerocallis (Day lily)
Hosta
Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan)
Trees & Shrubs: STRONG RESISTENCE
Aronia (Chokeberry)
Berberis (Barberry)
Betula (Birch)
Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)
Buxus (Boxwood)
Callicarpa (Beautyberry)
Calluna (Heather)
Caryopteris (Blue Mist)
Chamaect paris (Cypress)
Clethra
Cornus (Dogwood)
Cratageus (Hawthorn)
Daphne
Deutzia
Erica (Heath)
Fagus (Beech)
Forsythia
Gingo
Gleditsia (Honey Locust)
Illex glabra (Ink berry)
Juniper
Kalmia (Mt. Laurel)
Kolkwitzia (Beautybush)
Leucothe
Lonicera (Honey suckle)
Magnolia (Saucer, Star)
Microbiota (Siberian Cypress)
Myrica (Bayberry)
Picea (Spruce)
Pieris
Pinus (Pine, no White)
Spiraea
Syringa (Lilac)
Viburnum
Wisteria
Yucca
Trees & Shrubs: MEDIUM RESISTENCE
Abies (Concolr Fir)
Acer (Maple)
Aesculus (Buckeye)
Amelanchier (Serviceberry)
Campsis (Trumpet Vine)
Cotinus (Smokebush)
Cotoneaster
Hamamelis (Witchhazel)
Hibiscus (Rose of Sharon)
Hydrangea
Hypericum (St. John's Wort)
Illex
Kerria
Ligustrum (Privet)
Magnolia (most)
Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood)
Philadelphus (Mock Orange)
Potentilla
Prunus (Jap.Flwering)
Pyrus (Flowering Pear)
Quercus (Oak)
Rhododendron
Rosa (no hybrids)
Saliz (Willows)
Tilia (Linden)
Tsuga (Hemlock)
Weigela
Trees & Shrubs: WEAK RESISTENCE
Abies (except Conclor)
Azalea
Cercis (Redbud)
Euonymus
Malus (Apples)
Prunus (Pluns, Cherries)
Rosa (Hybrids)
Taxus (Yew)
Thuja (Arbrovitae)