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HELP - deer resistant perennial alternative to roses

14 years ago

We created this beautiful area [4 beds] around a fountain and planted them with knockout roses. The first couple of years, they thrived. Then we started seeing evidence of deer - plus we had to deal with Japanese beetles. And some did not make it through a winter. Now the deer have stripped the canes of the new leaves. It's too much.

Any suggestions on a replacement perennial flowering "bush" that grows about 2 1/2' tall that the deer will leave alone??? We may also need to mix in 1 or 2 perennial flowering plants. The area gets full sun with some afternoon shade in a couple of the beds.

By the way, if someone could tell me how to post a picture, I could give you one of this area.

Appreciate your help.

P.S. I thought we were in zone 6, but my husband says that because we are in a valley, we are in zone 5. Maybe it's on the line.

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Comments (3)

DYH
14 years ago
First, I'm very sorry for this. I know how disappointing deer damage can be.

It will be difficult to replace the bloom power of roses. If you were a zone warmer, I would have a few more ideas using long-blooming perennials such as salvia greggii, agastache, nepeta and perennial heliotrope.

The low-growing buddleia 'Blue Chip' and 'Miss Ruby' would work in your zone and provide repeat bloom with some deadheading.

Caryopteris is another one, but it will bloom in late summer and will look like sticks in the winter. 'Mini blue' is the shortest, I think.

I have good luck with spirea, but the deer will do some sampling. Another deciduous shrub, so it won't provide interest in winter.

Weigela may be an option. I've not tried it here (yet) to say if the deer will eat it. It is on many deer resistant lists.

Cameron
laceyvail 6A, WV
14 years ago
Nepetas, Agastaches (A. 'Blue Fortune' is fully hardy in your zone), Pardancandas, grasses, peonies, Spireas (S. 'Ogon' and 'Golden Elf' have great yellow foliage), Verbascums, Salvias, Achilleas--for starters.
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We have really rabid deer and I've found that "deer-resistant" is pretty much meaningless. The only plants they truly avoid, in my experience, are ones with aromatic foliage. Around here, that means rosemary, many sages, rockrose, lavender, sagebrush, catmint etc. I think with the exception of the rockrose you can find varieties of all of those that will work in zone 6, even the lavender. Actually, I have never seen a deer touch coyote brush (baccharis pilularis) either, so that's another option for you. There are other plants that deer will kill when they're young and tender and just out of nursery pots, but after a couple of seasons in the ground they become less enticing, so if you protect them for a bit they will probably be fine. Western redbud is a really beautiful shrub, tough as nails and now that it's a little taller the deer are ignoring it. The same goes for the birch I planted in front of my house. A third strategy is to use fast-growing plants that quickly grow too big for the deer to take down. Ceanothus "Ray Hartman" comes to mind, and that will certainly take a freeze. Flowering plum trees are also very vigorous and if you plant a five-gallon specimen, they'll be safe from the deer in a season or two.
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Donna
14 years ago
I have very good results in deterring deer with wireless deer fence stakes. You can get them on the internet and as long as you keep the fragrance sticks fresh, they will keep the deer away from your area. I've been using them for five or six years now. They are not cheap, but I can have roses, tulips, daylilies and other deer candy. These would be alot easier than replanting your bed, and cheaper too, than chucking roses and buying all new plants.

My husband also bought me two Scarecrow sprinklers for Valentine's Day (he's SOOO wonderful :). I am going to use them on a large woodland garden. They get great reviews, but I have not yet proven them.

I provide a link for the stakes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shock the buggers away!

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