Those who listen to my radio show or watch my television segments have asked me for a list of MY favorite deer resistant plants. I live in an area with a fair amount of deer pressure. I use repellants, however I have found that incorporating deer resistant plants in my landscape helps minimize the browsing. Bambi’s appetite can cost me “deerly” as in “bucks” not to mention the frustration of spring foliage munched just as they were putting on a show. That’s why in my landscape I incorporate plants from my “Not tonight Deer” list of favorites to discourage the deer from using my yard as a buffet.
Rick’s “Not tonight Deer” favorite plants (Note: this is not a complete list of rarely damaged plants but are plants I try to work in throughout my landscape to reduce deer browsing)
- Alliums
- Achillea
- Ornamental Chives
- Anemone
- Bergenia
- Brunnera
- Carex
- Cimicifuga
- Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)
- Fritillaria
- Sweet Woodruff
- Lamium
- Myosotis
- Echinacea or Rudbeckia
- Hellebores
- Perovskia or Russian Sage
- Nepeta
- Narcissus
- Iris
- Stachys byzantina Lambs Ears
- Thyme and Oregano
- Hakonechloa
- Heuchera and Tiarella
- Gomphrena
- Nicotiana
- Ornamental Grasses (Calamagrostis to Miscanthus to Pennisetum)
- Viburnum
- Spruce
- Beech
- Dogwood
- Lilac
- Wisteria
- Hydrangea
- Deciduous Azaleas
- Rosa Rugosa
