Deer Resistant Trees And Shrubs
Shrubs
Using plants in this list does not guarantee against deer damage. Deer populations and deer taste preferences are variable, and if you have large herds with limited food supply, you are more likely to experience deer damage.
- Aesculus (Bottlebrush Buckeye)
- Arctostaphylos (Bearberry)
- Bamboo
- Berberis (Barberry)
- Buxus (Boxwood)
- Callicarpa (Beautyberry)
- Cephalotaxus (Jap. Plum Yew)
- Clethra (Summersweet)
- Cotoneaster
- Daphne
- Forsythia
- Fothergilla
- Hamamelis (Witchhazel)
- Ilex glabra (Inkberry Holly)
- Ilex opaca (American Holly)
- Junipers (Most)
- Kerria
- Kolkwitzia (Beautybush)
- Leucothoe
- Mahonia (Oregon Grape Holly)
- Microbiota (Siberian Cypress)
- Myrica (Northern Bayberry)
- Picea glauca (Dwf. Alberta Spruce)
- Picea pungens Glauca Globosa (Dwf. Globe Blue Spruce)
- Pieris
- Pinus mugho (Mugo Pine)
- Potentilla
- Pyracantha
- Sambucus (Elderberry)
- Spireas
- Viburnum
- Yucca
Trees
- Acer (Maple)
- Amelanchier (Serviceberry)
- Betula (River Birch)
- Cercis (Redbud)
- Cornus (Dogwood)
- Fagus (Beech)
- Ginkgo
- Gleditsia (Honeylocust)
- Liquidamber (Sweetgum)
- Magnolia
- Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood)
- Nyssa sylvatica (Black Gum)
- Picea (Spruce-Blue, Norway & Serbian)
- Quercus (Oak)
- Tilia (Linden)
- Ulmus
- Zelcova
Tips On Plant Survival
- Use deer-resistant plants. The most effective means to contend with hungry deer is to choose plant material that deer do not like to eat. Although there is no truly "deer-proof " plant," many plants are less tasty than others.
- Apply deer repellents to plants that deer love to eat. These substances repel by disagreeable odor, taste, or a combination of the two. Our favorite is Deer Stopper II, which is an all-natural repellent that is effective, and it has an appealing fragrance to people! Other repellents that people have had success with are Liquid Fence and Hot Pepper Wax.
- Spray all new plants with repellent to train the deer to stay away.
- Hang soap from limbs. Bars of soap, with their wrappers intact, have some repellent effectiveness.
- Ask your local hairdresser for hair. Hang the hair in mesh bags from branches approximately 30-36 inches above the ground.
- Fencing / netting - this type of deterrent is fairly effective if installed and maintained properly. Jumping to a vertical height of at least eight feet, deer can scale over barriers you may think are impossible. Deer have also been known to crawl under fences and through openings as small as 7.5 inches.
- Big dogs - one of the most effective repellents, but only if your dog is aggressive to the deer. Some folks report their dogs chumming up to the deer!
