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Fast growing deer resistant shrubs


10 Best Deer-Resistant Shrubs for Landscaping

By

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 05/24/22

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller

Reviewed by Kathleen Miller

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.

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The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

Landscape shrubs are not the preferred food for white-tailed deer, but deer will still eat them in a pinch. During a cold winter or at other times when natural food sources are low, your landscape can be devastated by deer feeding on shrubs and small trees. Sometimes the damage is merely cosmetic, and the plant can recover. But if the bark is completely stripped from a shrub or tree, that can mean the end of the plant.

There are many possibilities among evergreen species, flowering shrubs, and other specimens that deer aren't likely to munch on. Here are 10 varieties of deer-resistant shrubs.

Tip

Remember "deer-resistant" is not "deer-proof." Some animals still might choose to take a bite out of these shrubs, especially if food options are limited.

Keeping Deer Out of Your Yard and Garden

Like deer-resistant shrubs, there also are several deer-resistant trees—including flowering, shade, and evergreen varieties—for landscaping. Deer might nibble on these trees if they're desperate for food, but the foliage is definitely not their first choice.

Watch Now: Tips for Selecting the Right Shrubs

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Deer-Tolerant Ornamental Plants. University of Georgia Extension

  2. Daphne x Burkwoodii 'Carole Mackie'. North Carolina State University Extension

Buy Deer Resistant Shrubs Online

Landscape shrubs are not the preferred food for deer, but they will still eat landscape Trees and Shrubs when food sources wither in the late winter. During an extremely cold winter or when natural food sources are low, deer look for additional sources of food. When deer get hungry, they can reduce your expensive landscape shrubs to mere stumps.

We have put together a collection of plants that have proven to be deer resistant over time. You will find many types of plants on our list, including evergreen shrubs and flowering shrubs. Unless you live in an area that's in the heart of the city, you will undoubtedly have to deal with deer. We have chosen this group of plants based on our observations in our nursery and properties that we provide landscape services to in our region.

Skip Cherry Laurel

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Otto Luyken Laurel

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Admiration Barberry

$32.95 - $79.95

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Proven Winners® Color Choice® Bloomerang® Dark Purple Lilac

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Winter Gem Boxwood

$32.95 - $299.95

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Black Knight Butterfly Bush

$64.95

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Crimson Pygmy Barberry

$21.95 - $56.95

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Clethra Ruby Spice

$21.95 - $64.95

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Golden Euonymus

$24.95 - $69.95

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Camellia Kramer's Supreme

$29.95 - $89.95

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Elf Mountain Laurel

$98. 89 - $119.95

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American Boxwood

$23.95 - $88.95

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Lilac Sensation

$59.95 - $68.95

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Pieris Mountain Fire

$29.95 - $92.95

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Proven Winners® Color Choice® Black Lace® Elderberry

$89.95

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Lilac Miss Kim

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Color Guard Yucca

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Sky Pencil Holly

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Wintergreen Boxwood

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Peach Drift® Rose

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Itea Henry's Garnet

$29.95 - $62.05

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Proven Winners® Color Choice® Little Lime® Hydrangea

$39.95 - $79.95

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Cryptomeria globosa nana

$28.95 - $79.95

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Blue Chip Juniper

$21.95 - $65.95

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Blue Star Juniper

$28. 95 - $68.95

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Pieris Katsura

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Endless Summer® Summer Crush® Hydrangea

$63.20

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Globe Arborvitae

$28.95 - $59.95

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Shamrock Inkberry Holly

$59.95

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Proven Winners® Color Choice® Beyond Midnight® Caryopteris

$57.95 - $79.95

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Peachy Knock Out® Rose

$68.95

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Proven Winners® Color Choice® Itea Little Henry

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Fire Chief™ Thuja

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Hypericum Pumpkin

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Leucothoe Girard's Rainbow

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Red Chokeberry

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Blue Rug Juniper

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Baby Gem™ Boxwood

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Gold Mop Cypress

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Baby Jade™ Boxwood

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Abelia Kaleidoscope

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Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae

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Pocomoke Crape Myrtle

$58.95

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Clethra Hummingbird

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Northern Bayberry

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Compact Japanese Holly

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Obsession™ Nandina

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Miss Molly Butterfly Bush

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1

The term “Deer Resistant Shrubs” can be misleading. Except for a minimal number of plants, including barberry, there are no genuinely deer-proof plants. Deer much less eat the following offering of plants and in some cases, will never be touched. If you live in an area where deer are a problem where you live, choose plants from this category, all of which are rarely eaten. Most have either fragrant foliage or thorns which deer find unappetizing. Plants from this category will allow you to design an attractive landscape filled with magnificent blooms and unique foliage, without worrying about deer. Our assortment of deer-resistant flowering shrubs is unappetizing to deer and in most cases, rabbits as well, allowing you to create striking displays throughout your landscape, relax knowing that the leaves and flowers will be able to reach their full stunning potential!

What types of deer-resistant shrubs are there?

Flowering Deer-Resistant Shrubs

There are several excellent flowering and fragrant choices when it comes to selecting deer-resistant shrubs for your garden. While there is no such thing as 100%, deer-proof shrub white-tailed deer do tend to avoid Lilacs, Butterfly Bushes, Hydrangeas, and Camellia, to name a few. Incorporating these in your landscape will give you months of color from early spring to late summer.

Evergreen Deer-Resistant Shrubs

Evergreen landscape shrubs are not the preferred food choice for white-tailed deer, but when natural food sources run low, they have been known to indulge. If you live in a region where there is a large deer population, try planting one of these easy-care shrubs that are less tasty.

Boxwood: This popular broadleaf evergreen comes in many shapes and sizes, making it ideal for formal gardens, hedges, and topiaries. In addition to the shrubs' strong scent, It contains alkaloids that are unpalatable to deer.

Juniper: From ground covers to accent plantings, this versatile deer-resistant evergreen shrub will not disappoint. The volatile oils contained in their needles do a great job of repelling pesky deer, which makes it the perfect bush for creating a natural botanical barrier to protect the rest of the plants in your garden.

Holly: According to Rutgers University landscape plants rated by deer resistance study American Holly was assessed to be very resistant. Still, highly rated and as effective against deer damage include Chinese Holly, English Holly, Inkberry, and Winterberry. These are excellent options for Full Sun.

Barberry Shrubs: Barberries are among the most popular shrubs around. They are very hardy, deer-resistant, they have small thorns that make them an excellent barrier or hedge some insurance companies recommend planting them as foundation shrubs under windows to deter break-ins. They are equally happy in full sun or partial shade, and they come in all different colors ranging from bright red to Gold.

Dogwood Shrubs: Dogwood Shrubs are among the little-known native shrubs around. They are very hardy, deer resistant, produce berries that birds love, and their colorful twigs provide interest during all four seasons. They are equally happy in full sun or partial shade, and they come in all different colors ranging from bright red like Red twig Dogwood with its shiny red twigs to the beautiful yellow twigs of Yellow Twig Dogwood and everything in-between.

Roses: Rose bushes and climbing roses create a classically romantic look for your home, with their graceful beauty and variety of colors. These flowering shrubs complement both formal and informal gardens, adding a level of class to any home.

If you have a deer problem in your neighborhood, it's a good idea to choose plants from the collection of plants we have compiled, all of which are rarely browsed by even the hungriest of deer. Any homeowner can design a beautiful landscape filled with bright blooms and unusual foliage, without worrying about destructive deer undoing all your hard work. Our selection of deer-resistant plants is unappetizing to those curious critters, allowing you to create wonderful displays throughout your garden and on your porches and patios without worry. Imagine being the envy of your neighborhood because when everyone in the neighborhood's landscapes is being decimated by hungry deer, yours is just as beautiful as the day it was first planted.

Are deer-resistant shrubs also rabbit resistant?

Unfortunately, not all deer-resistant plants are also rabbit resistant. Like people, different rabbits have different tastes. So while in your garden, a family of rabbits may mow down your favorite plant, another family of rabbits may completely ignore the plant.

This makes it incredibly challenging to determine what is rabbit resistant for your garden. However, there are a few that are less palatable to both of these curious critters, here is the shortlist:

If you’re looking to purchase deer-resistant shrubs for your landscape, consider Woodie’s Approved collection of Deer-resistant Shrubs from Garden Goods Direct. As America’s number one online garden center, we offer the largest selection of houseplants online, along with advice from our customer service and plant experts you need to keep them healthy. That's why America chooses to buy trees and shrubs from us.

Fast growing hedge shrubs: hardy varieties

Plants on the site can serve not only as a decorative component, but also are able to perform certain functions. Cover unsightly outbuildings, strengthen the soil or divide the territory, for example. Today we will talk about deciduous shrubs that are suitable for forming hedges. A country house hedge is a densely planted chain of plants for decoration and division of space into certain zones, to replace the traditional fence, and protect the territory from prying eyes or even protect the garden from wild animals.


Regardless of the purpose of the hedge, it is a very beautiful ornament that can transform any landscape.

Hedge benefits:

  1. As we said above, a hedge is able to divide the site into certain zones. So, for example, it can be used to separate the central areas from the adjacent area. Or a vegetable garden area from an orchard.

  2. A living wall can easily replace the fence we are used to. If you decide to delimit the territory with a non-traditional stationary fence, densely planted crops will hide your garden from prying eyes with ease.

  3. If your site is already fenced, but the fence is unattractive, or maybe just old, then hedges will also come to the rescue, which will create a picturesque backdrop.

  4. The same rule applies inside the garden. By planting a dense hedge along the buildings, you can hide unattractive walls and give the overall landscape neatness.

  5. By choosing deciduous crops with thorns (for example, hawthorn) for the construction of a living wall, you can not only decorate the garden, but also protect it from uninvited guests - wild animals.

  6. Dense growth of deciduous shrubs planted in a row will perfectly protect the site from the scorching sun, strong drafts

  7. If recreation areas are distributed on your site, a hedge can make these corners not only cozy, but also add coolness and shade on especially hot days. A great place to hide from the hustle and bustle while reading your favorite book!

  8. Of course, planted plants make the garden more presentable, add colors to it and make the air much cleaner.

  9. If you choose lush flowering plants for hedges, they will become excellent honey plants and will attract beneficial insects to your garden.

  10. Strengthening the soil. So that water erosion does not harm the soil cover, it is necessary to think about strengthening it. A sod slope is one of the mandatory elements in the case of a predominance of a non-uniform relief. Dense plantings of shrubs will come to the rescue in such a situation.


Having analyzed the main functions of a hedge, let's proceed to the choice of plants. Since our goal is a thick wall that seems to come to life, performing the tasks of zoning, protecting and hiding the garden from prying eyes, the plants must be selected at a certain height: from one and a half meters. The second criterion for choosing seedlings is that they should be fast-growing shrubs for hedges, so that in a couple of years they will create a dense, lush barrier.

Conditionally hedges are usually divided into 2 types: homogeneous and mixed. The former are created from one type of plant (a bright and dense living wall of barberry, for example), and in mixed ones several species alternate (for example, thuja, hydrangea, thuja, hydrangea, and so on).


Popular deciduous shrubs for uniform hedges:

Vesicle

A very interesting shrub that looks impressive in ordinary plantings. It is valued for its decorative leaves with carved edges, juicy color, unpretentious care and good ability to tolerate haircuts. Depending on the variety, can be created as a single color hedge, for example using a variety with red foliage "Diabolo" (Diablo), and diversify the wall with a golden representative - the bubble "Dart`s Gold" (Darts Gold). A juicy, bright hedge year after year will enchant with its decorative effect with minimal labor to care for it.

Derain

Bright, attractive and shade-tolerant woody shrub - soren. All kinds of leaf colors will allow you to easily find a variety that is attractive to you: green with a white border, dark red, golden and others. Deren perfectly tolerates any vagaries of nature, grows quickly and has a dense, dense crown. Depending on the tasks at hand, you can create a hedge in a free-growing form, or give the turf any shape - it safely tolerates shaping haircuts.

Cotoneaster

Asking the question: “What to make a hedge from?”, Turn your attention to the cotoneaster. Spectacular representative of deciduous shrubs, changing its foliage during the season. In summer it is juicy green, and by autumn it acquires crimson hues. By the end of summer, colorful black fruits will decorate the hedge. The cotoneaster is distinguished by its unpretentiousness to growing conditions, tolerates pruning perfectly, pleases for many years with its neat, dense crown. Great option for a living wall!

Grefsheim gray spirea

Charming flowering spirea that will not leave anyone indifferent. Thin sprawling shoots, rounded openwork crown, incredibly abundant flowering, juicy green foliage. By planting a spirea in a hedge, you will effortlessly create a dense, very beautiful wall, which every year will delight, covered with snow-white flowers and exuding a magnificent aroma. Spirea is not only very beautiful, but does not require additional attention at all: it is frost-resistant, puts up with light shading, does not require frequent watering and is good for haircuts.

Hawthorn

As we said above, hawthorn is very often used specifically to protect the site from unwanted wild animals. Its spines and crown create a dense veil from strangers. And due to the average density, the hawthorn lets in enough air so that the area is sufficiently ventilated. Depending on the species and variety, hawthorn can grow up to 6 meters in height, but some representatives do not grow more than 3. Since the hawthorn has a beautiful rounded crown, it will decorate your garden even without additional haircuts.

Hydrangea

When choosing which shrub to make a hedge, take into account the magnificent hydrangea. She is able to become not only a first-class tapeworm in your garden, but also in a hedge will enchant everyone around. Dense foliage carved along the edge, neat beautiful crown and, of course, large conspicuous inflorescences densely covering each seedling. A living wall of hydrangea throughout the season will delight you with its decorative effect: in spring and autumn with juicy greenery, and in summer with incomparable flowering and aroma.

Snowberry

Another great option for creating dense, interesting hedges is the snowberry, familiar from childhood. A dense deciduous shrub with unusual bluish-green foliage and unique fruits - white or pink balls densely covering each shoot, which children so love to "slap" their feet. It is characterized by high frost resistance, unpretentiousness to the composition of the soil, watering and does not require much care.

Barberry

A favorite and often used by landscape designers to create hedges is the barberry. Its juicy neat leaves (depending on the variety and season, almost all the colors of the rainbow) form an openwork dense crown and bring color even to the most monotonous landscape. Excellent frost resistance and tolerability of haircuts make it possible to grow it in any garden. Thanks to the variety of species and varieties, every gardener will be able to choose any type of hedge: noble red, bright green, multi-colored with a frame, even and neat from shrubs with upright branches or lush thanks to spreading shoots. A variety of flowering, no less attractive fruits and foliage with a changeable color contribute to the fact that the barberry changes its appearance during the season without losing its decorative effect.

Mock orange

The mock orange looks picturesque in a hedge (many used to call it jasmine). Juicy green leaves, sprawling attractive shape, thin graceful shoots, simple or double snow-white inflorescences and, of course, an incomparable aroma. A hedge in a dacha made of mock orange is not only a unique decoration, but also a planting that is completely unpretentious in care, capable of delighting you and your neighbors for many years.

Irga

If you want to plant in your garden not only an attractive, but also useful plant in its own way, then you should stop your attention on the irga. Thanks to unusual leaves that are able to change the color of the foliage from month to month (from silver-green to various crimson hues), the hedge of shadberry will be attractive at any time, adding variety to the landscape. It is beautiful in a row planting and, in addition, every year pleases its owners with delicious fruits. And in the spring, the irga is covered with snow-white inflorescences, shading the juicy foliage. Suitable for planting in partial shade.

When choosing plants for a hedge, pay attention to the size of the crown of shrubs in adulthood: many of the above plants, depending on the type and variety, can create both medium (from 1. 5 meters) and high walls (4-5 meters). The main thing is to choose what your garden needs and will meet the tasks.

Mixed hedges on site

Recently, mixed hedges, formed from various hardwood or coniferous species, have gained immense popularity. Such heterogeneous walls look quite impressive and, at least, unusual: they allow you to experiment with shape, color and texture, bringing zest to the landscape.

Creating a mixed hedge is not difficult: you simply plant different types of plants in a certain order. So, for example, a living wall made of arborvitae, alternating in equal intervals with colorful turf, looks spectacular. Or in an equal step blooming hydrangea with dark barberry.

Or by choosing shrubs with interesting foliage: alternate a plain dark barberry with a bright bordered turf. One of the main rules when creating mixed hedges is not to overdo it with color. Be sure to choose both monophonic species and varieties of plants, as well as bright ones, interesting for their flowering, foliage color or shrub shape. So, for example, standard forms look very interesting framed by the classical crown of neighboring plants.

The choice of plants for mixed hedges should be based on your preferences. From the above plants, you can easily build unique living walls. You can also see the types and design options for hedges in our article. "Undemanding Hedge Plants".


No matter what kind of hedge becomes the decoration of your garden, it will easily ennoble its appearance, adding elements of logic and completeness. You can buy shrubs for hedges right now on our website or come to the garden center and personally choose the types and varieties of plants from our variety on the marketplace.

How big does Ceanothus grow? - On Secret Hunt

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Ceanothus are fast growing, long flowering shrubs and as a result can be short lived - after 10-15 years they can start to lose their shape and become quite leggy. Since they do not respond well to hard pruning, it is best to replace the plants at this stage.

Does seanotus live?

ceanothus is perfectly hardy in all climate extremes. However, they grow quickly, bloom profusely and, therefore, have a relatively short life in our gardens. As they get older they can become leggy and ungainly and it may well be time to start again with new young plants.

How do you prune Ceanothus?

prune them shortly after flowering, using Secateurs to cut off the long, flowery stems by a third to a half. If necessary, you can lightly prune these plants again in late summer.

How far can you prune Ceanothus?

However deciduous Ceanothus allows hard pruning done when the plants are dormant between late February and March and can be pruned just above ground level if needed.

Is Ceanothus poisonous to dogs?

ceanothus ‘concha’ does not have the toxic effects reported in .

Will deer eat Ceanothus?

ceanothus rigidus, ‘Snowball’ was deer evidence at all sites . It has white flowers on a green leafy shrub with a 3' cast that grows up to 6' across.

Which is the best Ceanothus?

our selection of the best Ceanothus

Bees such as Ceanothus?

Ceanothus is a striking ornamental shrub with long blooming flowers that honey bees love. … I planted two different varieties in my backyard 12 years ago and the bees bring them many months of the year.

Does Ceanothus make a good hedge?

ceanothus. If you're looking for informal, blooming hedge California lilac (Ceanothus) is an excellent choice. Best planted in a sheltered, sunny position. Prune it lightly after flowering - As with any hedge pruning, you should wait until any nesting birds have left before cutting.

Is Ceanothus a climber?

In addition to the well-known and versatile ivy plants, we have flowering evergreen climbers such as vines such as the spectacular passion flower, beautifully scented blooming jasmine and shrubs such as Ceanothus and Pyracantha.

Is Ceanothus a tree?

Ceanothus 'Trewithen Blue' is a fantastic Evergreen Tree with abundant, rich blue summer flowers appearing in clusters from April to June. … it can be grown as a small tree up to 3 meters tall or as a climbing bush.

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Why is my Ceanothus yellow?

The leaves of the Ceanothus plant turn yellow when the plant is overloaded. under water causes leaves ceanothus also wish.

Can Ceanothus grow in pots?

Ceanothus can be grown in pots . In this case, you can bring it to the greenhouse or slope. It doesn't have to be very warm, just to keep the frost off is enough. Although it should be well lit.

What is the tallest Ceanothus?

Ceanothus hardiness

as my research becomes the hardest variety is ‘Blue Sapphire ’ rated H5 by the RHS, which should mean the plant can take short periods of 15°C.

How do you take care of Ceanothus?

Ceanothus Soapbush is also easy to care for. plant them in dry, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.5 to 8.0 . They do well in full sun or partial shade, but be sure to give them some water during the driest part of the summer.

When can I move Ceanothus?

Fall is the best time while the soil is still warm enough for root growth and will allow the plant to recover before the big spring push to create new leaves and flowers. If it is an evergreen form, water in dry spells after movement and until the temperature drops below 10 ° C. Thank you.

is Ceanothus Deer victoria resistant?

Ceanothus ‘Victoria’ is tough, drought tolerant and quickly takes its place in the garden. Reindeer resistance reports vary . Some sources say yes, others no, so include that in your deer-resistant garden plans.

Is the American deer resistant?

Culture and Maintenance Needs: Ceanothus Americanus grows best in full sun to light shade in well drained medium to dry soil. …tolerates drought, poor soils, alkaline soils, and controlled burns. Foliage is resistant to insects, but viewed by deer and other mammels .

Which trees will not be eaten?

more deer-resistant trees and shrubs

Butterflies like Ceanothus?

With its large clusters of purple flowers, Ceanothus is attractive to native insects, especially butterflies, Wallace said.

Learn more