More on Deer Resistance

 

I wrote a general blog post about dealing with deer in 2011; all of it is still true so if you haven’t read it, please do. I talked about understanding what they like, plant placement, and deterrents (both physical and chemical). I didn’t get into a lot of specifics about what plants might be deer resistant. So here I am, 12 years later, ready to give some ideas based on my experiences in the metro Atlanta area.

Let me stress that last sentence: these are ideas based on my experience. Claims of deer resistance vary widely. You’ll find people who say XYZ is resistant while in my yard that is not true (I just got a mail from a nursery saying that coneflower is deer resistant: not in my yard!). As someone once said to me: “They’ll try anything once.” Very few plants will be absolutely resistant but there are some general recommendations. In some respect, you have to find your own way, figure out what works for you and your deer. For that, fall back to the 2011 article. Let’s start from the ground up:

Groundcovers

• Green & gold (Chrysogonum), partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), pussytoes (Antennaria), dwarf cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis), golden groundsel (Packera aurea), violets (Viola), moss phlox (Phlox subulata), and native pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens).

Pachysandra procumbens

Perennials/Annuals

• In the sun: Penstemon, red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), anise hyssop (Agastache), things that are minty and smelly like Monarda and Pycnanthemum, camphorweed (Pluchea), blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), golden ragwort (Packera), scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea, Salvia lyrata), starry rosinweed (Silphium asteriscus), Stokes’s aster (Stokesia laevis), wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia), late thoroughwort (Eupatorium serotinum), and American germander (Teucrium canadense).

Penstemon is great for bees too

• In the shade: mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia), white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima), blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), and Georgia savory (Clinopodium georgianum).

Ageratina altissima

• In general, native ferns, native grasses, and sedges (Carex)

• Things I manage with 2-3 sprays during the growing season but some may still get munched: Trillium, foamflower (Tiarella), and toothwort (Cardamine).

• Some things will be nibbled early in the year but may still get a chance to bloom later – that is particularly true for some of the annuals whose drive to bloom is supreme.

Christmas fern

Shrubs and Trees

• General comment on trees: any browsing will be done on the lower branches so once something gets tall enough, it’s usually ok.

• Deer damage includes rubbing in the late summer by male deer (because of antlers) so if you have a young special tree or shrub, consider enclosing it with wire fencing for a while.

• Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), doghobble (Agarista populifolia), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), St. John’s wort (Hypericum), paw paw (Asimina), buckeye (Aesculus), Florida anise (Illicium), blueberry (Vaccinium), dwarf witch alder (Fothergilla), summersweet (Clethra), yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), and wax myrtle (Morella).

Clethra alnifolia in early summer

• Some browsing on Viburnum and mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia); you might be able to manage this with sprays/deterrent. Forget about Hydrangea and native azaleas!

If you have some deer resistant plants that I didn’t mention, feel free to add a comment so everyone can learn.