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Deer Resistant Plants

We have 2 categories:

1. Deer Resistant - In over 25 years field experience I have never seen these plants eaten. Shrubs in this category are marked by a + sign.
2. Deer Resistant Under Normal Circumstances - If larger deer populations have certain abnormal weather conditions such as drought or prolonged snow cover, you may find them eating something on this list.  This is usually a very rare situation and all of these plants should grow back to normal.

Note: Deer may browse on outside terminal buds when plants are young.

Ornamental Shrubs

Barberry

• 'Crimson Pygmy
• 'Gold Leaf'
• 'Rosy Glow'
• 'Royal Burgundy'

Buddleia - Butterfly Bush +

• 'Black Night'
• 'Nanho Blue'
• 'Nanho Purple'
• 'Royal Red'
• 'White Profusion'

Buxus - Boxwood +

• 'Green Mountain'
• 'Green Velvet'
• 'Winter Green'

Cotoneaster

Forsythia

Ilex - Holly

• 'Inkberry'
• 'Winterberry'

Juniperus

• 'Bar Harbor'
• 'Blue Chip'
• 'Nana'
• 'Nick's'
• 'Sea Green'
• 'Saybrook Gold'

Picea - Spruce

• 'Dwarf Alberta'
• 'Blue Montgomery'
• 'Bird's Nest'

Pieris +

• 'Dorothy Wycoff'
• 'Mountain Fire'

Pinus - Pine +

• 'Slowmound'

Potentilla +

• 'Abbotswood'
• 'Goldfinger'
• 'McKay's White'

Rhododendron

• 'PJM'

Spirea

• 'Alpine'
• 'Anthony Waterer'
• 'Gold Flame'
• 'Gold Mound'
• 'Little Princess'
• 'Magic Carpet'
• 'Neon Flash'
• 'Snowmound'

Syringa - Lilac

• 'Miss Kim'

Viburnum

• 'Burkwood'
• 'Carlessi'
• 'Eskimo'
• 'Judd'
• 'Maressi'
• 'Setigerum'

Weigela

• 'French Lace'
• 'Pink Princess'
• 'Midnight Wine'
• 'Wine & Roses'

Perennials

Astilbe - False Goats Beard +

• 'Fanal'
• 'Rhineland'
• 'Sprite'

Chrysanthemum +

• 'Becky'
• 'Clara Curtis'

Coreopsis +

• 'Early Sunrise'
• 'Moonbeam'
• 'Rosea'
• 'Tequila Sunrise'
• 'Zagreb'

Ferns

Geranium +

• Perennial Geranium

Iris +

• 'Caesar's Brother'
• 'White Swirl'

Lavender +

• 'Hidcote'
• 'Munstead'

Leucanthemum +

• 'Snow Lady Shasta Daisy'

Liatris +

• 'Gay Feather'

Liriope

Lobelia - Cardinal Flower

Monarda - Bee Balm +

Nepeta - Catmint +

• 'Walkers Low'

Paeonia - Peony +

Perovskia - Russian Sage +

Rudbeckia - Black-eyed Susan

• 'Goldsturm'

Salvia +

• 'Blue Hill'
• 'East Friesland'
• 'Caradonna'
• 'May Night'
• 'Purple Rain'
• 'Snow Hill'

Sedum

• 'Autumn Joy'
• 'Vera Jamison'

Veronica

• 'Goodness Grows'
• 'Icicle'
• 'Red Fox'

Grasses

Calamgrostis +

• 'Karl Forester'

Festuca +

• 'Elijah Blue'

Miscanthus +

• 'Adagio'
• 'Maiden Grass'
• 'Morning Light'
• 'Purpurescens'
• 'Silverfeather'
• 'Variegated'
• 'Zebra'

Pennisetum +

• 'Hameln'
• 'Moudry'

Ornamental Trees

In general, deer will not do much damage other than slight pruning on lower branches.  However, all trees under 5" caliper should have a protective cover over it's trunk (such as a split 4" PVC pipe 4-5' high) to keep the bucks from rubbing and/or scraping the bark with their horns.

Note: Deer may browse on lower branches when trees are young.

• Acer - Maple
• Aesculua - Horsechestnut
• Amelanchier - Serviceberry
• Betula - Birch
• Carpinus - Hornbeam
• Cercis - Redbud
• Chionanthus - White Fringe Tree
• Cladrastis - Yellowwood
• Cornus - Dogwood
• Crataegus - Hawthorn
• Fagus - Beech
• Magnolia
• Nyssa - Sourwood
• Picea - Spruce
• Pinus - Pine
• Prunus - Cherry
• Pyrus - Pear
• Syringa - Lilac
• Zelkova