Gardening with the Deer: Observations of a Newbie

14 years ago

These last three years have been a learning experience for me. I purchased my home in 2007 ignorant of the fact it was located in the center of a popular deer crossing. (The deer crossing traffic signs went up the year after I moved in.) Here is what I have learned based on my particular experience:

1.) When purchasing new plants be sure to check how palatable the plant will be to deer. Yes, I know people will say that deer will eat everything but there are definite preferences. (Obviously, these may not apply if the deer are starving to death and will attempt to eat anything.)

Deer Resistant Plants (again based on personal experience & in no particular order)

Holly (Ilex)

Boxwood (Buxus)

Ferns (species doesn't seem to matter)

Bamboo (neither spreaders nor clumping species)

Peony

Iris

Marigolds

Palms (again species does not seem to matter)

Banana trees (used as summer bedding plants--maybe related Cannas may also be safe.)

Metasequoia (dawn redwood)

Taxodium (bald cypress)

Cephalotaxus (Japanese Plum Yew--NOT the common Yew which they do eat!)

Podocarpus

Gingko biloba

Magnolias (neither northern deciduous nor southern evergreen have been eaten, but their smooth bark is vulnerable during the autumn rut so they must be protected.)

Ficus carica (common fig)

Forsythia

Bleeding Heart

Honeysuckle

Trumpet vine

Wisteria

Kiwi

yucca

Dusty Miller

ornamental grasses

Opuntia cactus (the cold hardy species has attractive yellow flowers but also is thorny so handle with gloves.)

Coral Bells

Day lily

Japanese Andromeda (Pieris)

many herbs (rosemary, lavender, etc.)

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)

Chili peppers

Plants that Deer Seem to Love:

Acuba japonica

Euonymous japonica

Fatsia japonica

Azaleas

Roses

HOSTA

Hydrangeas

Camellias

Yews

Photinia "Red Tip"

tomato plants

2. If you choose to grow a plant that are preferred by deer pay particular attention to location. Given a choice, deer will avoid heavy traffic and people. Plant any deer favorites in locations that deer will tend to avoid. I now have my azaleas and roses in front of the house (along a busy main street). --They were eaten in the back yard.

Other Observations:

a.) I find that they tend to avoid a hedge of Rhododendrons "Roseum elegans" in the noisy lawn front, and I understand that deer generally eat them.

b.) There's a large Japanese "bloodgood" maple in the front that also is not bothered. I suspect this is due to its height perhaps and also being in the front lawn area.

All in all, I think it is possible to have a lush garden in a deer zone by selecting the correct plants and locations. (PS., I don't use any deer repellents save for mulching egg shells that they are not supposed to be fond of.) Happy gardening & Happy Independence Day!!

Comments (8)

User
Original Author
14 years ago
Add HIBISCUS (tropical and hardy) to list of PLANTS THAT DEER SEEM TO LOVE.
nosambos
14 years ago
My deer seem to be very regimented. This is a plus as I can work around them. They follow the same route every night as they forage in my yard. Plants not along this route are untouched. My specimen hostas are safe but the common green hostas I would love to be rid of are all stems. They seem to not want to bend to eat so anything shorter than 18" is safe. They eat heuchera and astilbe flowers but not the leaves. All in all my deer are relatively easy to live with.
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User
Original Author
14 years ago
Glad to hear that your deer are well behaved. All in all, I prefer my deer neighbors to the human ones. The deer don't throw parties that start at 2:00 pm. and end the next day at 4:00 to 5:00 am. They don't play loud, hideous, God-awful music, nor do they deposit empty beer bottles in your yard, nor stumble unto your property in a drunken stupor. There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to gardening in a heavy deer zone. I am in the process of putting up a fence--no, not to keep the deer out but the human neighbors. A single fence will run north to south--discouraging the roaming humans next door but permitting the north/south flow of commuting deer (traveling between the two wooded areas).
carl-in-nh
14 years ago
My remedy: hang CDs around the area where your plants are. (one every 10 or 20 feet is fine)

I did this, and here are my observations about the effectiveness:

a) my cherry trees that got attacked the year I planted them have not been touched by deer in the years since I hung a CD from each tree (a beaver took the originals out a couple years ago and I had to replace them all, but that is an other story and another remedy)

b) hostas in the front that were eaten to the ground 2 years running have not been touched in the couple years since I put in the CDs

c) hostas in the rock garden in the back have been eaten to the ground this year (I have not gotten around to hanging CDs there)
rock_oak_deer
14 years ago
Interesting that they eat the red tip photinia in your area. In my yard and the neighbors the red tips have never been touched as far as I know. We consider it one of the best deer proof options.
DYH
14 years ago
After a couple of years of building a very large, deer resistant garden, I no longer stress over them. We're getting along.

Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: do you need a deer fence?
caavonldy
14 years ago
I notice that this year the deer are eating things that they wouldn't touch before. We are in our 3rd year of drought and the deer are getting desperate. I could usually just spray the perimeter of my garden with liquid fence or blood meal every few weeks and the deer stayed away. This year they are ignoring all forms of repellent and eating my tomatoes right down to the roots. I am now keeping everything covered with deer netting or I go out at night and cover with sheets. I feel sorry for the deer but if they eat, we don't. We are told by fish & game not to put hay or grain out for them. I try to water the weedy areas of our 5 acres as much as possible without drying up our well but the deer don't seem to like the weeds as much as our garden.
dottyinduncan
14 years ago
One thing that drives me crazy is that there are some plants they don't like -- but the kids try them anyway and pull them out by the roots! I have fibrous begonias and once they get established they are hardly touched. Another one is geranium. The kids nibble the flowers off and then spit them out. And they don't learn on just one plant.