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They love narrow-leaf evergreens, especially arborvitae and fir, and show a preference for hostas, daylilies, and English ivy, according to researchers in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, who have studied whitetailed deer damage to nurseries in the Northeast and report heaviest browsing from October through February. Although hungry deer will generally eat whatever is within reach, they don't savor garlic, cotoneaster, or hawthorn. And several growers who participated in the study noted that deer seem to prefer plants that have been fertilized.
Although the first rule in deer proofing is that there really are no deer-proof plants, here are some that deer don't seem to enjoy.
-- courtesy of Outwitting Deer, by Bill Adler Jr.
| Botanical name | Common name |
| Achillea | Yarrow |
| Allium | Onion |
| Artemisia | Sage |
| Cedrus | Cedar |
| Hedera | Ivy (except English ivy) |
| Helleborus | Hellebore |
| Hydrangea | Hydrangea |
| Juniperus | Juniper |
| Narcissus | Daffodil |
| Osmunda | Fern |
| Papaver | Poppy |
| Pinus | Pine |
| Potentilla | Cinquefoil\ |
| Quercus | Oak |
| Salix | Willow |
| Senecio | Dusty miller |
| Syringa | Lilac |
| Tsuga | Hemlock |
| Yucca | Yucca |
| Zinnia | Zinnia |
Smelly old shoes can be used as a deterrent to deer. Just stick the shoes on top of tomato sticks, and watch the deer walk a wide circle around them. My shoes usually last from mid-May until about mid-August. That is, they keep the deer out of my garden for that long. This depends on the amount of rain and how much your shoes smell. -- Rick
