My standard hedge shrubs for deer have been boxwoods and hollies. Have both the common box and dwarf English in full sun and the deer hate the smell (as do some people)--I really don't smell it in the ground and the dwarf English are very close to house foundation. There many types of hollies available that might be useful as long as you are okay with pruning. (Dwarf Burfordii, China Girl/Boy,)--I wouldn't use "Nellie Stevens" as they get big. One of my favorites is the native Inkberry "Ilex glabra" I believe--very nice conical shape. Have fun!

Round Globe Arborvitae Evergreen bush. The yellow color is smaller than the green one. You can get them for less than $5. Meijers has tons of those, esp. the yellow one. Mine yellow globe arborvitae stays 2' x 2' after 6 years. I never trim them, nor water them. The green one is slightly larger. Both are planted in very shady spot. I'm in 5a Illinois.

Do you mean you don't mind doing some clipping, or you don't want to do ANY clipping? Yellow flowers = carolina jessamine red/orange = coral honeysuckle

Good news--thanks for everyone's suggestions. The plant is fine now. I guess it needed some warmth and humidity. The tent method in the steamy bathroom worked. I gave it a small dose of lukewarm water, just in case, and it's back to normal. Thirsty, dry, and cold, I guess. In the meantime, I'm going to place it further from windows. It doesn't really help that my plants are near the window that tends to be the windier side in winter.