All ferns contain compounds that deer can’t tolerate, so do false indigo (Baptisia), bleeding hearts (Lamprocapnos/Dicentra), daffodils, Helleborus, monkshood (Aconitum), spurges (Euphorbia), and poppies (Papaver). Fawns learn which plants to avoid from their mothers – or from their upset tummies. Toxic foliage: Among my list of must-have deer resistant plants are those that contain compounds toxic to deer.Plants with heavily fragranced foliage, such as this annual salvia, are often deer resistant. Other plants resistant to deer with fragrant foliage are catmint (Nepeta), hyssop (Agastache), Artemisia, Russian sage (Perovskia), boxwood (Buxus), Salvias, tansy (Tanacetum), bee balm (Monarda), mountain mint (Pycnanthemum), dead nettle (Lamium), blue mist shrub (Caryopteris), dill, lantana, and calamint (Calamintha). Many flowering herbs, including sage, thyme, lavender, and oregano, fit in this group. Plants with very aromatic foliage confuse Bambi’s olfactory system and discourage feeding, making them the perfect addition to deer proof gardens. If something smells distasteful, they’re less likely to dive in for a taste. Heavily fragranced foliage: Like us, deer eat with their noses first.In this category are bear’s breeches (Acanthus), globe thistle (Echinops), Cardoon, and sea hollies (Eryngium), among others.ĭeer resistant perennial plants, like this globe thistle, often have spines or thorns on their leaves. Though some deer learn to eat around the thorns of rose canes to nibble off the leaves, they generally avoid plants with spines on the leaves themselves. Prickly foliage: Also disliked by most deer are plants with spines on their leaves.Plants with fuzzy or hairy foliage, like this variegated Siberian bugloss, are a safe bet for gardens plagued by deer. Deer-resistant garden plants in this category include lambs ear (Stachys), lady’s mantle (Alchemilla), Siberian bugloss (Brunnera), flowering tobacco (Nicotiana), tuberous begonias, heliotrope, yarrow (Achillea), Ageratum, poppies, purple top vervain (Verbena bonariensis), and many others. Deer don’t like fuzzy or hairy textures against their tongues. If you feel small hairs on the leaves – whether bristly or soft – it’s probably a good plant choice for deer proof gardens. Fuzzy or hairy foliage: Before buying a plant to include in your garden, rub the foliage against your cheek.If you garden with deer, DO NOT put a plant in your garden unless it has one of the following traits: Your first line of defense against deer is always smart plant selection. There are lots of choices out there, I promise. For Pete’s sake, if the deer eat your hosta and you’re not happy about it, replace the hosta with plants resistant to deer. This step may seem like a no-brainer, but I’m constantly surprised by the number of gardeners who complain about the deer eating their hosta. Tactic 1: Choose deer resistant garden plants But, keeping Bambi out of the garden is as simple as employing these four tactics. Though I find deer foot prints and droppings in my gardens almost every day, because of these four tactics, their feeding damage is almost nonexistent and the result is a series of beautiful, deer proof gardens. That being said, even in areas of heavy deer browse (like my front yard), my diligence has paid off. If something stops working, I’m always willing to tweak my deer management strategy until I find something that does. The key for me has been employing a combination of all four of the tactics I list below and being vigilant about noting which ones are the most effective against each different herd. In other words, what works for Jane may not work for Joe. But most of all, it requires a willingness to be flexible in your plant choices and deer management techniques. Each herd eats differently, so gardening with deer requires patience and experimentation. 4 Tactics for deer proof gardensĪs the white-tailed deer population in the east and the mule deer population in the west expand, and suburbia continues to encroach on their territory, deer have become more and more problematic for gardeners. ![]() Today, I’d like to share all of the things I’ve learned and present a four step plan for building gorgeous, nearly deer proof gardens. The furry buggers seem to know exactly which plants are our favorites, don’t they? Over the last twenty years I’ve tended over 40 gardens as a professional horticulturist, and I’ve learned a lot about the ups and downs of gardening with deer in that time. Those of us familiar with the battle know how difficult it can be to have a beautiful garden in deer territory. Gardening with deer presents a unique set of challenges.
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