Deer Say “Yuck”: Easy-To-Grow Deer Resistant Plants

by High Country Gardens

As deer populations have been exploding in many parts of the country, especially in the eastern US, the damage they are inflicting on suburban and rural landscapes has gotten out-of-hand. Gardeners have a few different options to protect their landscapes. And realistically, homeowners will need to utilize a combination of different techniques to gain the upper hand.

Here are three:

1. The first and most effective way to protect your yard is to install fencing, but it needs to be at 7 to 8 ft. tall to thwart the deer who can easily clear lower heights. (Special low-visibility fencing mesh helps to minimize its visual impact.)
2. Second is the use of a rotating menu of deer repellants sprayed on established plants that are vulnerable to browsing, especially during the fall, winter and early spring months.
3. Thirdly, planting plants that are unpalatable to hungry deer is an essential deterrent.

Aromatic Plants and Ornamental Grasses

There are many plants that deer don't favor when they're out looking for a meal. In general, plants with strongly aromatic foliage like Lavender (Lavandula), Rosemary (Rosmarinus), Russian Sage (Perovskia), Sage (Salvia and Artemisia), Lavender Cotton (Santolina), hyssop (Hyssopus) and Hummingbird Mints (Agastache) are not on the deer dessert list. The aromatic oils contained in the plants are bitter and generally unpalatable. Also, many ornamental grasses are generally not heavily browsed as deer prefer to eat the stems, bark and leaves of woody plants.

Regional Preferences

It's also important to remember that the plants deer don't like to eat will vary somewhat from region to region. So I always recommend checking in with local Agricultural Extension offices and Master Gardener organizations to verify that the plants on your deer resistant "want list" are not being eaten in your area.

Text and Photos by David Salman.

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