If you have deer in your neighborhood, chances are that you have seen them taking a lunch break on in your yard, enjoying one of the new shrubs (or perennials) that you just purchased. And you thought it was just the right plant for the right space. It looks like the deer agree with you, because they are enjoying it, too!

I wish that there was such a thing as deer-proof plants, but unfortunately, such a thing just doesn’t exist. However, there are some things you can do to discourage them from deciding to stop by for a visit and have lunch while they’re at it.

1) Erect a physical barrier. If you are up against a large population of deer, and you have large amounts of valuable plants a fence can be one way to go. To be effective it needs to be 7 feet tall, or more. It is only practical if and you want to go to the effort and expense of erecting a fence. Another way to make a barrier is s to cover your plants with chicken wire or welded wire mesh formed to a cone or dome and staked to the ground.

2) Deer repellent. They are available commercially. Hinder, and Deer-away are two brands that are available. It will usually be a trial and error process to find out which one works the best. Or, you can make your own. Some do-it-yourselfers will use 3-4 rotten eggs mixed with a quart of sour milk, putting the mixture in a spray bottle and applying it to the plants. You will need to reapply it after a rain. Another inexpensive treatment is to get a bag of Milorganite fertilizer and sprinkle it around the plants. Both of these treatments repel by smell. Milorganite is sewage sludge that is dried, bagged and sold as organic fertilizer. Both commercial repellents and homemade recipes have had mixed results. It really boils down to how hungry the deer are!

3) Experiment with deer resistant plants. And I do mean experiment! There are several lists of resistant that you will find, but it’s best to use one that is put out by someone in your area, like the University extension service. Another place to contact is to is a local grower of the plants you are interested in.
No plant is guaranteed, but some have been reported to be more resistant than others.There has been no “scientific” tests that I am aware of, because there are too many variables involved in what the deer will eat. The local deer population and competition, amount of snow cover if winter feeding is a problem, other available food sources, and how used they are to being around humans to name a few. I suspect there may even be regional differences in taste, just like there are with us. All of the lists that I am aware of are based merely on observation.

Anyway, there are some plants that seem to appear on multiple lists. In general, deer will avoid plants that have a strong odor or taste to them, such as yarrow, any of the mint family (such as bee balm, cat mint, and spearmint), Russian sage, and Sumac, to name a few. Also, plants with thorns are naturally avoided. Other plants that have made the list:

Perennials

Salvia
Astilbe
Artemesia
Foxglove
Monkshood
Russian sage
Joe Pye plant
Bleeding heart
Flowering onion
Yarrow (Achillea)
Most fern varieties
Globe thistle (Echinops)
Coneflower (Rudbeckia)
Most ornamental grasses
Butterfly weed (Asclepias)
Beebalm (monarda) and other mints

Ground covers
Ajuga
Vinca
Pachysandra
Lily of the valley

Trees and shrubs
Elm
Ginkgo
Magnolia
Coffeetree
Hawthorne
Some Pines
Honeylocust
Canadian Hemlock
Juniper (Eastern Red Cedar)


Lilac
Roses
Sumac
Juniper
Potentilla
Barberry
Smokebush
Honeysuckle
Ash leaf spirea
Bush honeysuckle