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Rocky Mountain Gardening

Favorite deer-proof shrub?

18 years ago

I'm experimenting with shrubs to plant on the outside of my fence. This area is going to be frequented by browsing deer. Last year I planted Oregon Grape and Barberry which are close cousins and very unappetizing to the deer. Unfortunately, the OG faired poorly in this location (maybe the road salt) and several plants died and most lost branches.

I'm looking for candidates for this year's planting. Anyone have suggestions for a nice medium sized shrub that deer mostly avoid. I know they'll eat anything if they have to.

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Comments (6)

david52 Zone 6
18 years ago
Barberry seems to work fairly well. For some reason, they don't seem to like my budlehea (sp) (butterfly bush). That one does require more maintenance, however. Russian sage?
canyon_home
Original Author
18 years ago
I see lots of lists of "deer proof" plants. Spirea often make that list and I was thinking about some varieties in this family. Of course that same list also has Mugo pine as deer-resistant. LOL
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valleygirl... I just checked out that website. She's made a lot of changes since I looked at it last year. She lives about 10 minutes from me, not far from Matterhorn nursery. I was surprised to see her list last year, because many of the plants that were listed as deer resistant were definitely eaten by deer in my yard, not far from where she lives at all. I now see that she has revised this list and says "sometimes eaten" for some of those plants. Definitely a move in the right direction! The website if very informative and helpful now.
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I HATE, HATE, HATE Barberry! I ripped out all the Barberry the former, desperate homeowners ever planted here. What is considered deer resistant will vary depending on where you are, in colder zones, they will eat more plants that would otherwise be avoided further south. I use the following plants successfully here in Zone 7B NJ to avoid the deer. 1.) Cherry Laurel "Schipkaensis": it's highly poisonous, and they know it! It's the cyanide! Don't worry, it won't kill Bambi, they are smarter than people and won't think of eating it..., but if you have kids..., who knows. It grows FAST and forms an impenetrable hedge from the ground on up. 2.) Holly, they ignore my spiny hollies (Nellie Stevens, Chinese Holly)..., they will munch on Japanese Holly if stressed by deep snow..., they may munch on blue hollies. 3.) Osmathus heterophyllus 'goshki' (False Holly)..., it's very prickly 4.) They seem to ignore Rhododendrons 5.) They will not eat any bamboo (clumping or running) but love to make their dens under the cover of bamboo. 6.) And finally, it may not work in New England, but they don't eat Magnolia grandiflora (Southern Magnolia)..., but LOVE to rut them in the Autumn. P.S., I have more DEER neighbors than human neighbors, and I JUS' LOVE IT!
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Comments (1)
Most cornus should do fine, even better with occasional deer pruning. I've got some that take a fair amount of rabbit girdling every year, and they love it.
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Comments (7)
Hi Pam - Looks like from the map below, all the deer are at Peggy's house eating HER flowers (in southern Arkansas). : ( Do you have a lot of trouble down there Peggy? I thought it was odd that it shows deer are rare in NE Arkansas and the MO bootheel. I wonder why that is. I don't think you should feed them. That might attract more and they should be able to find plenty of food on their own. It seems like in some areas that are heavily populated by deer they'll eat almost anything. I see people in other forums recommend "deer proof" plants and there's always someone to say "they eat that too". We're still in the under 15 per square mile catagory here in SW MO so maybe you won't have a big problem. Hope not. They are increasing every year. I think hellebores are supposed to be "deer proof" and they are good shade/drought plants too. I don't know about iris or daylilies. Hope you like living in the Ozarks Pam. Here is a link that might be useful:
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david52 Zone 6
18 years ago
The 2 or 3 kinds of spirea I have don't do all that well unless I whack them back every spring and treat them like perennials, the exception are some on the north side of the garage where they are more sheltered from temp swings and get moisture all winter from roof snow.

I have that blue mist 'spirea', coreopsis? They havn't touched that one, and it does pretty well.
gardenbutt
18 years ago
What about some of the natives in your area,, the deer seem to leave alot of those alone and they can handle the climate so much better,,, Not going to make suggestions since I know my native shrubs are not the same as what grows where you are,, its a thought, check with the county extenesion office or native plant nurseies in your area
GB
delray
18 years ago
I have heard that curl-leaf mountain mohagany (sp?) is a handsome tough evergreen for our climate, is it deer-resistant? Does anyone know much about this shrub?
Chantico
18 years ago
Not sure what "medium sized" is to you, but I have potentilla (cinquefoil) that the deer seem to leave alone. It may not be very exotic, but where I live I'll take "mundane-but-deerproof" over "interesting-but-smorgasbord-for-deer" any day.

We have large numbers (15 at at time sometimes!) wandering through the property on a regular basis and they don't seem to be interested.

"Goldfinger" has bright yellow flowers and gets about 3' tall x 3-4' wide.

Here is a link that might be useful: goldfinger potentilla

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