From The Old Farmer's Almanac: Sign up to receive a FREE guide (A $4.95 value!) plus updates from Almanac.com.
Daily Visitor.
Print
EmailSee our list of deer-resistant plants to keep the hungry herds away from your garden!
First, what is deer candy? Deer 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.
And several growers who participated in the study noted that deer seem to prefer plants that have been fertilized.
Which plants do deer dislike? Although the first rule in deer proofing is that there really are no deer-proof plants, here is a chart with some plants that deer rarely or seldom severely damage.
Top Deer-Resistant Plants
| Botanical name | Common name |
| Achillea filipendulina | Yarrow |
| Aconitum sp. | Monkshood |
| Ageratum houstonianum | Ageratum |
| Allium sp. | Onion |
| Amelanchier laevis | Allegheny Serviceberry |
| Antirrhinum majus | Snapdragon |
| Armoracia rusticana | Horseradish |
| Artemisia dracunculus | Tarragon |
| Artemisia sp. | Silver Mound |
| Arisaema triphylum | Jack-in-the-pulpit |
| Asarum canadense | Wild Ginger |
| Asparagus officinalis | Asparagus |
| Aster sp. | Aster |
| Astilbe sp. | Astilbe |
| Berberis sp. | Barberry |
| Borage officinalis | Borage |
| Buddleia sp. | Butterfly Bush |
| Buxus sempervirens | Common Boxwood |
| Helleborus sp. | Lenten or Christmas Rose |
| Cactaceae sp. | Cactus |
| Calendula sp. | Pot Marigold |
| Caryopteris clandonensis | Blue Mist Shrub |
| Centaurea cineraria | Dusty Miller |
| Centaurea cyanus | Bacherlor's Buttons |
| Cleome sp. | Spider Flower |
| Colchicum sp. | Autumn Crocus |
| Consolida ambigua | Larkspur |
| Convallaris majalis | Lily of the Valley |
| Coreopsis verticillata | Threadleaf Coreopsis |
| Corydalis sp. | Corydalis |
| Cytisus sp. | Broom |
| Daphne sp. | Daphne |
| Dicentra spectabilis | Bleeding Heart |
| Digitalis purpurea | Common Foxglove |
| Dryopteris marginalis | Wood Fern |
| Echinacea purpurea | Purple Coneflower |
| Echinops ritro | Small Globe Thistle |
| Endymion sp. | Bluebell |
| Eranthus hyemalis | Winer Aconite |
| Euphorbia marginata | Snow-on-the-Mountain |
| Euphorbia sp. (except 'Chameleon') | Spurge |
| Festuca glauca | Blue Fescue |
| Fritilaria imperialis | Crown Imperial, Fritilia |
| Galanthus nivalis | Snowdrops |
| Gypsophila sp. | Baby's Breath |
| Helichrysum | Strawflower |
| Heliorope arborescens | Heliotrope |
| Hyssopus officinalis | Hyssop |
| Ilex opaca | American Holly |
| Ilex verticillata | Winterberry Holly |
| Iris sp. | Iris |
| Juniperus | Juniper |
| Lantana sp. | Lantana |
| Lavandula sp. | Lavender |
| Limonium latifolium | Statice |
| Lobularia maritima | Sweet Alyssum |
| Marrubium vulgare | Horehound |
| Melissa officinalis | Lemon Blam |
| Mentha sp. | Mint |
| Monarda didyma | Beebalm |
| Myosotis sp. | Forget-Me-Not |
| Myrica pensylvanica | Bayberry |
| Narcissus sp. | Daffodil |
| Nepeta sp. | Catmint |
| Ocimum basilicum | Basil |
| Osmunda | Fern |
| Pachysandra terminalis | Pachysandra |
| Paeonia sp. | Peony |
| Papaver | Poppy |
| Perovskio atriplicifolia | Russian Sage |
| Picea glauca 'Conica' | Dwarf Alberta Spruce |
| Pimpinalla anisum | Anise |
| Pinus | Pine |
| Potentilla | Cinquefoil |
| Ranunculus sp. | Buttercup |
| Rhus aromatica | Fragrant Sumac |
| Rosmarinus officinalis | Rosemary |
| Rudbeckia sp. | Black-Eyed Susan |
| Ruta sp. | Rue |
| Salix | Willows |
| Salvia officinalis | Garden Sage |
| Stachys byzantina | Lamb's Ear |
| Syringa vulgaris | Common Lilac |
| Tanacetum vulgare | Common tansy |
| Teucrium chamaedrys | Germander |
| Thumus sp. | Thyme |
| Yucca | Yucca |
| Viburnum dentatum | Arowwodd Viburnum |
| Zinnia | Zinnia |
List courtesy of Outwitting Deer by Bill Adler Jr.
Comments
Post new comment