Oh, Deer. The Curse of Many Gardeners.

There are several questions that garden writers get over and over again, and try to answer with varying degrees of success. “How do I keep deer from eating my…?” is the most often, and most plaintively-asked question. You can fill in the blanks as to what they’re eating, depending on the season: rhododendrons, holly, thuja and yew in winter; tulips and crocus in spring; daylilies, hosta, roses, daylilies vegetables, tree and berry fruits, and a host of other tasty options in summer. They’re voracious. And they’re not going away any time soon.

Despite other challenges such as fog, wind, cold and goutweed, deer have never been a problem in our garden. We’ve been deer-free up here on our plot ever since we got Jenny-Many-Lumps, the ancient and not-overly-bright donkey that keeps my horse in the pasture and the coyotes out of it. Jenny thinks deer are simply long-legged coyotes, and she keeps them out of the pasture too, as a rule. She and Mungus had a discussion once about who had the right of way, but it was resolved amicably. 

Rhododendrons and azaleas are often ravaged by deer populations.
I’m pretty sure it’s no comfort to anyone, but deer aren’t just a Nova Scotia problem; in talking with fellow gardeners across North America, they’re ubiquitous in many regions, especially in urban settings. It’s partly our fault, of course, for having taken over so much of their habitat. Some people feed deer in winter, and that helps contribute to populations growing, because more animals survive harsh winters where they would otherwise perish.  

Hypericums, or St. John'w Wort, are not usually troubled by deer.

For some gardeners, electric fencing is an option, but it has to be high enough that deer can’t jump over it. For someone with a large property, that kind of fencing runs into expense. There are a number of deer repellent options out there, both homemade and commercially prepared. You’ll hear people recommend dog hair, soap shavings, urine (human or dog), hot pepper sauce, sour milk, and egg concoctions, among other remedies. I hear of mixed successes with these concoctions, but it does seem they work best if used in rotation, and you need to get them on before the deer start marauding regularly. 

Remember, however, that in spring when the beasts are hungry, they’ll probably opt to eat regardless of how something tastes or smells. And whether you’re using a commercial or homemade repellent, most sprays will need to be reapplied after a rain. 

Repeat after me: there are no deer-proof plants. A hungry deer will try anything once. Normally, however, deer are not particularly fond of plants with prickly or fuzzy foliage (although just to be contrary, they love roses and some sea-hollies) so you can often opt for barberries (above), globe thistles, yucca, potentilla, astilbes and poppies.

Toxic plants such as hellebores, jack in the pulpit, monkshood (above, yellow monkshood with a sage) and daffodils are also rarely bothered. Some gardeners find that putting deterrent-type plants in front of more tempting species helps to foil hungry deer.

They generally tend to avoid plants with strongly scented foliage such as cranesbills, wormwoods, tansy, ferns, herbs such as lavender, and alliums. 

While the following aren't exhaustive lists, they may help you know what to avoid planting; and what to plant instead. If you can't have an attack donkey or a high fence, these suggestions may be some help.

Plants to avoid

Some species are apparently almost irresistible to deer. Unless you can plant them in containers where deer can’t reach, or can protect the plants in some way, you might want to consider avoiding planting these species if you’re in an area with a high deer population.

Tulips

Daylilies

Hosta

Strawberries

Evergreen holly

Hydrangeas

Rhododendrons and azaleas

Plums, cherries and related fruit

Yews

Highbush blueberries

Thujas (also know as arbourvitae or ‘cedar’)

Roses

Again, let me remind you that these plants are deer resistant, not deer proof. And there are always exceptions. While hellebores are very toxic, I have a friend who reports that deer decimated the fancy, double flowered varieties in her mother's garden. So somewhere there's either a dead deer or one with a cast-iron stomach.

Deer Resistant Perennials:
Aconitum (Monkshood)

Alchemilla (Ladys Mantle)

Alliums (Flowering onions)

Aquilegia (Columbine)

Asclepias (Milkweeds)

Delphinium

Echinacea (Coneflowers)

Heuchera (Coral bells)
Hellebores

Hypericum (St. John’s Wort)

Liatris (Blazing-star)

Papaver (poppies of all sorts)

Polemonium (Jacob’s Ladder)

Salvia (sages)

Tradescantia (Widow’s Tears)

Shrubs/Trees

Acer (maples, preferably native)

Aesculus (Horse Chestnut, buckeye)

Amelanchier (Serviceberry)

Aralia (Devil’s Walking Stick)

Berberis (Barberry)

Betula (Birch)

Buxus (Box)

Cornus (Dogwoods, preferably native)

Cotoneaster

Crataegus (Hawthorn)

Daphne

Some junipers

Picea (spruces, most species)

Pinus (Pines, especially natives)

Spirea

Viburnums

Weigela

What about you, gentle readers? What sort of plants have you had problems--or successes--with when it comes to dealing with the Bambi-bandits?