Bayscape Blog 11/15/10
Oh Deer! Deer Resistant Plants
By Judy DeFiglio

It seems no matter what garden topic I am giving a lecture on, one of the first questions I am asked is, “what can I plant that the deer won’t eat?” Unfortunately, my response is always, “If the deer are hungry enough, they will eat anything.” That being said, there are a number of plants that the deer are less likely to eat. Not surprising, many of the deer resistant plants are natives.
Love‘em or hate’em, deer can cause big problems in your garden. Even the most enthusiastic nature lover can get frustrated when all their hard work gets eaten in a single evening by a herd of hungry deer. While fencing is a sure way to protect your plants, it needs to be eight feet tall, or otherwise the deer can jump over it. This is a problem for many gardeners because most communities’ zoning laws prohibit fences over six feet, not to mention the aesthetics and expense of such a large structure.
Deer repellants, homemade or commercially available, can be effective but are often smelly and labor intensive since they need to be reapplied after every rain. A better solution is stop growing the plants that deer love. If deer are a problem in your garden you might want to try a few of the native perennials described below. They are all wonderful plants that are not only deer resistant but have lots of other great features to offer.

Amsonia tabernaemontana ( Bluestar) grows three to four foot tall with blue, star shaped flowers that bloom in spring and leaves that turn bright yellow in the fall.

Aquilegia (Columbine) is a spring beauty that has unique red and yellow flowers and interesting fernlike foliage.

Asclepias (Butterfly weed) is a must for anyone who wants to attract butterflies to their landscape. These orange flowers withstand the heat and drought of a Jersey shore summer.

Aster is a fall bloomer that does get up to 6 foot tall, but the pink, lavender, or purple flowers are beautiful and provide nectar for butterflies.

Baptisia australis (false indigo) seen in the above picture, has gorgeous, four foot spires of intense blue, pea-like flowers on blue-green foliage. Black seedpods in autumn add extra interest. This is one of my personal favorites.

Liatris spicata ( gayfeather) has spikes of purple flowers three to four foot tall and is another plant that butterflies love.

Monarda (Bee balm) with its stunning scarlet flowers and fragrant foliage attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your garden.