First-time homeowners and people who are new to gardening may be excited when they first see deer in their yards. However, after the deer work through their property, those homeowners might find their fruit trees chewed to nubs and their garden destroyed.

Deer can quickly decimate decorative trees, shrubs and fruit trees. These animals also make short work of vegetable gardens. Deer can also carry ticks that spread Lyme disease, a debilitating illness that affects both people and dogs.

Deer are smarter than we often give them credit. The most successful strategy to protect trees, plants, and gardens from deer is to keep them guessing and use a variety of methods to keep them away from your landscape.

Bear in mind that the first rule of deer-proofing is that there are really no plants that are completely deer-proof. When preferred types of food are in short supply, deer will (and do) eat almost any kind of garden plant and shrub. Nevertheless, there are some plants that deer (usually) do not like to eat:

PERENNIALS

Achillea ……………………..….…………..Yarrow

Artemesia ..………………..……..…..Bluestars

Aster ………………………..…………..………Aster

Astilbe ……………………..….……….……Astilbe

Baptisia ………………..…..Blue False Indigo

Bergenia …………………….…………..Bergenia

Brunnera ……………..……….……….Brunerra

Campanula ………………………..…Bellflower

Chelone ……………………….……..Turtlehead

Cimicifuga ……………………….….Cimicifuga

Coreopsis ………………………………Coreopsis

Dianthus …………………….………….Dianthus

Digitalis …………………………………Foxglove

Echinacea …………………………..Coneflower

Eupatorium……………… ..…..Joe Pye Weed

Euphorbia ……………………………..….Spurge

Gaillardia …………………….Blanket Flower

Geranium …………….…..Hardy Geranium

Heuchera …………………..…..…..Coral Bells

Lavandula …………………………….Lavender

Ligularia……………………………..…Ligularia

Monarda …………………………….…Bee Balm

Nepeta ………………………………….…Catmint

Perokskia …………….….………Russian Sage

Rudbeckia ……………….Black-eyed Susan

Salvia …………………….……….……….…….Sage

Scabiosa ……………….………..…..Pincushion

Stachys …………………..……….…Lamb’s Ear

Stokesia ……….………………….Stoke’s Aster

Tradescantia ………………….…..Spiderwort

Veronica ……….………..…….……..Speedwell

GRASSES

Carex ……………………….…….………………….Sedge

Festuca …………………………………………..Festuca

Miscanthus ………………………..…Maiden Grass

Panicum ………………….……….……..Switchgrass

Pennisetum ……………………….Fountain Grass

FERNS

GROUNDCOVERS

Ajuga ………………..……………….……….Bugleweed

Ceratastigma ………………….…………..Plumbago

Clematis ……………………….……….………Clematis

Epimedium ………………………………Epimedium

Galium ………………………………..…………..Galium

Hypericum ……………………….…St. John’s Wort

Lamium …………….………..Spotted Dead Nettle

Pachysandra …………….…………….Pachysandra

Phlox ……………………………………….……..….Phlox

Vinca Minor ……………………………….Periwinkle

TREES & SHRUBS

Aesculus parviflora ……………Bottlebrush Buckeye

Amelanchier arborea ….…………………..Serviceberry

Amelanchier canadensis. ……….……………Shadbush

Amelanchier laevis ………..Allegheny Serviceberry

Betula albo-sinensis ……….………….……….Red Birch

Betula nigra ………..………..…..’Heritage’ Riverbirch

Betula papyrifera ………………….……..…….Paperbirch

Chamaecyparis pisifera ……………..Sawara Cypress

Cryptomeria japonica …………………Japanese Cedar

Picea pungens glauca …………………….…Blue Spruce

Pseudotsuga menziesii ……………………..Douglas Fir

Berbis ……………………………………………….…….Barberry

Buddleia …………………………………….….Butterfly Bush

Buxus ……………………………………………….…….Boxwood

Caryopteris …………………………………………..Bluebeard

Cephalotaxus harringtonia …………. Jap. Plum Yew

Cornus sericea …………………..….Red Twig Dogwood

Hibiscus syriacus …….…………………..Rose of Sharon

Rhamus canadensis ….…………………………Buckthorn

Sambucus canadensis …………American Elderberry

  • Eliminate deer attractants

If you have a vegetable garden or fruit trees, harvest produce as soon as it is ready. This will prevent deer from seeing (or smelling) something tasty and deciding your yard is an all-you-can-eat buffet.

  • Keep deer-attracting plants closer to your home

This is especially important during spring when mother deer are providing food for their fawns. They enter yards in search of delicious plants that are high in protein and nutrients. During this time, deer love to feast on English Ivy and a variety of vegetable plants like peas and lettuce. Any fruit-bearing trees or vines will also be targeted. Deer enjoy the sweet taste of strawberries and peaches as well as many flowers, including pansies and impatiens. Grow these plants closer to your home and within eyesight of your windows. Even hungry deer are reluctant to come so close to a human dwelling.

  • Maintain your landscape

Don’t make your yard a cozy place for visiting deer. You don’t want to tempt them into bedding down for the night or resting there in the day. Trim densely planted areas to make them seem less appealing as hiding places. Deer prefer areas that offer quick cover in the case of predators, so eliminating that cover will discourage deer from hanging out in your yard.

  • Add levels to your yard 

Deer don’t enjoy climbing up or down steep or sheer slopes. A yard that seems difficult to navigate can deter deer immediately. Sunken beds, terraces, and stacked chopped wood can be added to the landscape to prevent deer from entering too far into your yard. When deer see these, they are afraid to jump or climb on them and will find somewhere else to graze. Keep potted plants up on the deck or porch, deer will likely not attempt to climb stairs to reach them.

  • Let your dog spend plenty of time in the yard

Chances are if your dog spots a deer, it will bark. The deer will run and may eventually decide your yard isn’t a safe place to graze.

PERENNIALS

Alcea ……………………………………..…Hollyhock

Hemerocallis ……………….……………..…Daylily

Lobelia cardinalis …………..Cardinal Flower

Paeonia ………………………….…………….…Peony

Phlox paniculate ………..………Garden Phlox

Plaintain Lily ………………………………….Hosta

Rudbeckia ……………..……Black-eyed Susan

Sedum …..…………….…….Autumn Stonecrop

Thalictrum …………….……………Meadow Rue

TREES & SHRUBS

Abies ……………………………………………Fir Tree

Betula ………………………………..…….Birch Tree

Cercis canadensis ………..………Redbud Tree

Cornus Kousa ………….…….Kousa Dogwood

Malus …………………Apple & Crabapple Tree

Taxus baccata ………………English Yew Tree

Tilia ……………………….….………….Linden Tree

Tsuga canadensis ……..………Hemlock Tree

Euonymus alatus ……………….Burning Bush

Hydrangea ………………………………Hydrangea

Thuja ……………………………………….Arborvitae

Rosa …………………………………….………….…Rose

Vibernum americanum …..…Cranberry Vib.

Vibernum dentatum …….…Arrowwood Vib.