[John T]

I work in an area where we don't have to worry about deer. I have a friend who has asked me to landscape their house in New Jersey. They have a lot of deer around. Can anyone recommend some deer resistant plants suitable for this area? Thanks.

[chesie]

Here is a good list I have used before:

Acanthopanax -- Aralia
Achillea -- Yarrow
Aconitum -- Monkshood
Agastache -- Anise Hyssop
Alchemilla -- Lady's Mantle
Allium -- Ornamental Chives
Amsonia -- Blue Star
Antennaria -- Pussytoes
Artemisia -- Wormwood
Asclepias -- Butterfly Weed
Berberis Thunbergii -- Barberry
Buddleia davidii -- Butterfly Bush
Buxus -- Boxwood
Calamintha -- Calamint
Carex – Sedge (grasslike plants)
Caryopteris -- Bluebeard
Cephalanthus -- Honey balls
Cerastium -- Snow in Summer
Chelone -- Turtlehead
Cimicifuga -- Cohosh
Corydalis
Cotinus – Smokebush
Daphne -- Daphne
Dicentra -- Bleeding Hearts
Digitalis -- Foxglove
Echinops -- Globe Thistle
Epimedium – Barrenwort
Euphorbia -- Spurge
Fallopia – Fleeceflower
Ferns
Filipendula -- Dropwort
Galium -- Sweet Woodruff
Genista -- Broom
Geranium -- Hardy, Scented Geranium; Cranesbill
Grasses -- Ornamental Grass (see also Carex)
Helenium -- Sneezeweed
Helleborus -- Hellebore
Hypericum -- St. John's Wort
Hyssopus -- Hyssop
Iris siberica -- Siberian Iris
Lamium -- Dead Nettles
Lavandula -- Lavender
Ledum -- Labrador Tea
Lespedeza
Ligularia -- Ligularia
Linaria -- Toadflax
Linum -- Blue Flax
Lychnis -- Rose Campion
Lysimachia -- Whorled Loosestrife
Malva -- Mallow
Melissa -- Lemon Balm
Mentha -- Mint
Monarda -- Bee Balm
Myrica -- Northern Bayberry
Nepeta -- Catnip
Origanum -- Oregano
Paeonia -- Peony
Papaver orientale -- Poppy
Perovskia -- Russian Sage
Phlomis -- Sticky Jerusalem Sage
Picea -- Spruce
Potentilla -- Cinquefoil
Prunella -- Selfheal
Pulsatilla -- Pasque Flower
Pycnanthemum -- American Mountain Mint
Rhamnus – Buckthorn
Rheum -- Ornamental Rhubarb
Rhus -- Sumac
Ruta -- Herb of Grace
Salvia -- Meadow Sage
Satureya -- Winter Savory
Senecio -- Golden Ragwort
Stachys -- Lamb's Ear
Tanacetum -- Tansy
Teucrium -- Germander
Thymus -- Thyme
Verbascum -- Mullein

[PSUscaper]

foundation planting - the ONLY ones I trust at this point.....

spireas - little princess, goldmound, etc.

boxwood - a must

globe spruce, nest spruce, alberta spruce

japanese garden junipers

barberry, crimson pygmy, rosy glow, golden

lace leaf maple

ornamental grasses, most are good

for color......salvia, moonbeam coreopsis, lavender

That's it for me. Unless there's a fence, I rarely sway from the above. It kind of makes things boring, but....it kind of make designing easy.

[trees]

Great rule of thumb when it comes to deer. If the foliage is highly scented or it's a grass, it will work.

Thorns don't work. I've seen deer pick clean barberry, roses, even 3 - 8' tall 'Dragon Lady' Holly in just a couple days (ouch!).

[TrickyDick]

The problem with any list of of deer resistant plants is that the plants that deer choose to eat can vary dramatically from region to region and even from property to property. I've seen a stand of Clethra I planted get munched completely while the Clethra 50 feet away in the woods was never touched (and believe me I walked the woods and looked for browsed Clethra). The three posts above are great places to start but there are plants in each of those posts that I have seen decimated by deer, and I haven't been around that long. My theory at this point is that deer learn that landscapes are good places to find eats, which explains why they will eat plants in a landscape that they will ignore in the woods and that you can sometimes get them to unlearn it by using repellants in a new planting. If everything tastes bad for a year or two the deer may move on to thet neighbors yard.

The key is that you will never be sure that a plant will work on a certain property until you try it. There is always some trial and error involved and for me it's important the the client be really clear on that fact...that you are choosing plants that deer don't TEND to eat but.....

[Ston Wurks]

I have to agree with "Tricky" If deer are hungry they will eat almost anything, anytime, anywhere. They tend to be worse in suburban situations that have encroached on forested area.

My friends in PA say they are eating all the new saplings down to the ground in places and no new growth is coming up.

I live somewhat rural and don't have many problems, but there are certain deer gourmet plants I wil stay away from; Yew, tulips, Rhodies, most roses, hostas.

Their eating patterns are extremely tough to figure, my best advice is to rotate several of the products on the market today, and stay away from stuff they love-which varies from region to region.

[Greensmith]

In Princeton, NJ I saw a row of Buxus Semp devoured. I guess the best bet is hope the neighbors have a better tasting plant nearby.

[Pelican]

It's been my experience as well that deer in different regions will eat different plants that others won't. Test whatever plants you choose before using a bunch of them. I fence off my landscape area from November 1 to April 1, it's the only way to preserve anything. Stay away from rhodos of any type, ewes, azaleas and most evergreens. You'll end up with twigs.

Alberta spruce seems to be ok here.

[cutntrim]

Originally posted by Ston Wurks
If deer are hungry they will eat almost anything, anytime, anywhere.

That's a fact.

[waterfall larry]

Deer Defense,

Here is a topic I had to give some thought to upon moving back to WV from Atlanta. After some thought, here is my 2 cents worth.

Plant plants deer CAN"T eat. Trees are really a good deal. When you look at the size of a mature sugar maple in full bloom, trees are a good long term thing to spend money on. There are a lot of flowering trees. The more you think about flowering trees, the more varieties you will think of.

With a name like waterfall larry I can't resist putting in a plug for waterfalls and ponds. One of my 13 reasons why waterfals and ponds are the #1 best and most valuable type of landscape work is that deer don't eat waterfalls. We shouldn't get locked into only a couple of types of landscape work. o.k. So deer eat plants, put on our thinking caps and come up with other soruces for landscape beauty, benefits and enjoyment.

In addition to planting deet resistant varieties of plants perhaps the thing to do is to install some deer fencing. There are a lot of extremely beautiful varieties of plants that deer love to eat. With deer fencing, you can plant whatever the heck you want to plant .

From a company profit stand point deer can be a blessing. So Mr. Homer Owner you say you have a lot of deer problems and deer eat plants. Let me build you a big waterfall and pond and a big deck and then on the deck we can do some big planters and potted plants and this way you can have plants protected by the deck.

I refuse to let a stupid deer dictate what I a highly competent landscaper and human being can plant and not plant !!!