[trees]

Here's the best rule of thumb for what deer will eat last...

Ornamental grasses or any plant that has fragrant foliage (i.e. herbs, Illicium spp., etc.)

Don't count on thorns deterring the buggers, they will destroy barberry, roses and I've even seen them pick 'Dragon Lady' Holly clean... ouch!!!

[GLAN]

Milorganite has been mentioned.........Now I am throwing a thought to the wind here.......but.....What about dog waste thrown at the perimeter....If dog waste why not human waste?

If you are that rural an area

[treedoc1]

I've lived in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Deer Central. All places have herds even in the daylight while we are on the job site. Along with the other suggestions from others, I have found these are deer resistant.

Aucuba
William Penn and julianne barberry
Mahonia beali and aquifolium
All boxwoods. Use wintergreen as a jap holly compacta replacement, green mountain as a steeds replacement, green velvet as a helleri replacement
Otto luyken and skips cherry laurel. Skiplaurel as the arborvitae replacement.
carex instead of liriope and other grasses
Pieris of all varieties
kalmia
American holly (opaca)
Nandina
They seem to leave the viburnums alone.

Good Luck

[PSUscaper]

One of the biggest problems with deer around here is that most of the deer resistant plants don't make very nice foundation plantings.

Besides boxwoods, globe spruces, jap maples, and a few others, I find many of the deer resistant plants unsuitable for foundation plantings......

the fact is, most deer resistant plants are natives. They belong in the woods, not in front of a house. I'm not a big fan of perennials in foundations as they are seasonal. No winter interest, and if they aren't maintained right, they look messy.

Plants that deer don't eat just don't look right in front of a Mcmansion. It is just becoming so difficult to not do the same exact design in front of every house for this reason.....boxwoods, a globe spruce, a jap maple, and junipers. Plant selection for a foundation planting is just so limited these days.

[MarkH]

Just flipping through a mag. today and saw an article about your very question. There is a book out called Deer proofing your yard and garden. It gave an web site to order. www.storey.com From what the review shows, it has ideas outside of just changing plants. Thought it could help.

[dsamuelson]

Deer dont seem to bother pieris japonica,pottentilla,daffodils, and most spirea seem to outgrow brousing if any.