Flowering shrubs deer resistant

A tough, no-nonsense choice where you need a rugged, low-maintenance groundcover. A cold-hardy, blue-gray creeping juniper. Full sun. Up to 2′ tall, spreading to 8 ft. wide. Zones 3-8. 

An evergreen conversation starter especially in colder zones, with striped foliage and tall, showy spikes of blooms. Full sun. Up to 4′ tall and 5' wide, with up to 6′ flower spikes. Zones 4-9.

A dense, pointed conifer with a naturally conical growth habit. Perfect for pruning as deer-resistant topiaries. Partial to full sun. Up to 8′ tall, 5′ wide. Zones 2-8

Deer-Resistant Shrubs for Zones 6 - 8

Ignored by deer but loved by nature. Spring flowers, late summer berries, fall color, and layered form that shines in every season. Partial to full sun. Up to 15' tall and wide. Zones 4-9.

Butterflies and hummingbirds love it. Deer, not so much. Dark Sangria-red sterile flowers on compact form appear from July until frost. Full sun. Up to 5′ tall and wide. Zones 5-9.

Who doesn’t need more late-summer-into-fall flowers? Versatile small shrub for sunny beds and borders with late summer blooms. Full sun. Up to 36" tall and 30" wide. Zones 5-9.

Perfect upright and dense small tree laden with large fragrant flowers over a long season. Full sun. Up to 20′ tall, 25′ wide. Zones 6-9.

How can deer resist something that smells this good? Lucky for us, they do. Flower buds resist late spring frosts without damage. Full sun. Up to 5′ tall, 4′ wide. Zones 7-11.

Exceptional groundcover with very fragrant white spring flowers. Try in dry shade gardens where other plants won’t grow! Full shade. Up to 2′ tall, spreading to 8′ wide. Zones 6-9.

Zones 9 - 11

A compact, upright variety with no unwanted seedlings, and long-lasting purple flowers. Deer aren't a fan, but butterflies and hummingbirds are! Full sun. Up to 2' tall and wide. Zones 5-10.

Chef’s garden must-have that’s rugged, deer resistant, and tolerates poor soils, drought, and salt spray. Wonderful in containers. Full sun. Up to 2′ tall and 3′ wide. Zones 8-10. 

Cistus is an unsung hero of dry, sunny gardens. Compact, sun, and heat-loving, with showy rose-purple blooms with maroon spots. Full sun. Up to 4′ tall, 6′ wide. Zones 8-11.

Deer rarely pine for this compact grower whose irregular growth habit adds character to the landscape. Partial to full sun. Up to 10′ tall, 15′ wide. Zones 5-10.

If nearly non-stop blooms, fragrant foliage, and silvery-grey illuminating effect weren’t enough, there’s this–deer want no part of it. Full sun. Up to 3′ tall and wide. Zones 9-11.

Hardy and heat- and drought-tolerant with aromatic foliage that deters deer. This compact variety is colorful and upright. Full sun. Up to 18" tall, 26" wide. Zones 4-10.

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Deer Resistant Shrubs - I Know

While no garden is completely immune to these devastating forest creatures, deer-resistant shrubs provide landscaping options that deer dislike. If deer are a problem in your area, choosing deer-resistant landscape plants goes a long way in keeping your garden beautiful year-round, even after a friendly visit from a herd of white-tailed deer.

Ravenous Deer

Whether you live in the suburbs or in the countryside, deer are the scourge of gardeners. From late autumn to early spring, almost immediately after their natural food dies off, deer feed on ornamental trees, shrubs and perennials. Because the bushes are at a suitable height for deer, they often suffer the most. Deer gain courage and boldly eat landscape plants, sometimes coming right up to the house and biting the foundation plants. The colder and harsher the winter, the hungrier the deer and the more your plants can suffer.

• Pictures Boxwood shrub
• Identification of garden pests
• Photographs of various types of evergreen shrubs

Protecting garden and landscape plants from deer provides the greatest protection. Deer fencing, often consisting of an eight-foot high wire mesh fence or shorter fences with electric fence wire running on top, can provide some protection. Unfortunately, in many suburban areas such fences are prohibited. They're not pretty either. If building a fence is out of the question, choose plants that are resistant to deer.

Deer resistant shrubs

The solution for avid gardeners is to plant deer resistant shrubs. Deer-resistant plants are any plants that deer do not like to eat. If you look at a typical North American forest, some native shrubs thrive. These shrubs have developed defense mechanisms over time that scare away animals that want to feast on them. Leaves, stems, or other parts of the plant may be poisonous or simply taste bad to deer, or the plant may have thorns for self-defense. However, no plant is immune to deer. Deer may nibble on these bushes just to see if they want to eat the whole plant. Most deer give up after the first bite or two of a deer-resistant shrub, leaving the main plant intact and ready to grow into the next season.

Deer-resistant shrubs can be divided into two categories: loose and evergreen. There is enough variety on the list to provide gardeners in most garden areas with plenty of options. Alternate deer-resistant shrubs with other deer-resistant plants such as daffodils. You can also use one of the many leaf sprays that make the leaves exceptionally unpalatable to deer. A combination of many tactics will help you win the deer battle in the garden.

Flowering shrubs resistant to deer

Three ancient charmers make a list of shrubs that are unpleasant for deer: lilac, cinquefoil and spirea. Each blooms sometime between spring and late summer, producing profuse flowers. Some, like cinquefoil, even provide great fall color.

• Lilac ( Syringa ) blooms from early to late spring in clusters of sweet-smelling white, pink, mauve or purple flowers. Try not to prune too often, as old woody stems produce new flowers the next year. While lilacs are often recommended for colder garden areas, new varieties can tolerate the high humidity and warmer temperatures that used to be the bane of lilac lovers. With over twenty varieties of single and double flowers, you're sure to find one to complement your landscape.
• "Cinquefoil ", also called Buttercup Bush, produces cheerful white, yellow or pink flowers from early to late summer. You can find Potentilla suitable for landscaping zones 2a-6b. The deciduous shrub also produces gorgeous fall foliage colors, with some cultivars turning deep copper red before shedding their leaves.
• Spirea , also called meadowsweet, produces abundant white or pink flowers. Native to North America, spirea grows well in zones 4 to 9. They grow to about four feet in height.

Deciduous shrubs

Some shrubs, such as boxwood, juniper and holly, provide beautiful shades of green foliage all year round. These deer-resistant shrubs make excellent base plants, and some, like holly, can tolerate shade.

• Boxwood ( Buxus ) creates an official atmosphere in the garden. Form boxwood into topiary or let it grow into natural shapes. Available in dwarf and boxwood in a standard size, as well as excellent hedge material. People either love or hate boxwood. Most do not like boxwood for its characteristic pungent smell, sometimes, unfortunately, associated with the smell of cat urine. Others ignore the smell and enjoy the rich, dark foliage and the wide variety of boxwoods available. Boxwood can grow ten feet or more in height over a twenty year period if left untrimmed, so be prepared to cut your boxwood regularly to keep it manageable.
• Holly ( Ilex ). Ornamental holly is one of the most beautiful plants, there are many options. For beautiful red berries, be sure to plant both the male and female plants in close proximity to each other, as female plants need a pollinator. Since many varieties of holly have sharp and pointed leaves, some people plant rows of holly as a defensive hedge to prevent intrusion.
• Juniperus ( Juniperus ) belongs to coniferous trees and retains its beautiful green foliage all year round. Upright and creeping (undersized) varieties open up endless possibilities for landscape design. The beautiful colors of the foliage in shades of rich greens and greyish-blue greens blend harmoniously into the landscape. Be sure to wear gloves when planting or pruning juniper, as some people become severely allergic to juniper and develop an itchy skin rash after touching the leaves.

Resources

For more information on deer-resistant plantings, contact your local cooperative development agent for free brochures or plant lists. Chances are he or she has a list of deer-resistant plants that will thrive in your garden area. You can also visit the following websites for more information.

• Rutgers University provides a searchable online database of deer-resistant plants with both botanical and common name search capabilities.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension has a list of deer-resistant plants that is divided into sections for those that are rarely, rarely, occasionally, and often damaged by deer.
• Nature Hills Nursery provides a list with photos of shrubs to choose from.

List of deer resistant shrubs - Ideas for the home

08/02/2022 Heading: Plant care

Comstock / Comstock / Getty Images

It's important to find bushes to keep deer from destroying your garden. If you have a plant that deer like to chew on, use a protective fence or apply a safe repellant to keep them from invading the space. Even though nothing really keeps deer away, you can start planting shrubs and flowers that rarely get damaged to create a beautiful and colorful garden.

Butterfly Bush

Butterfly Bush is a perennial shrub that is also resistant to deer. This beautiful shrub has cascading flowers in purple, yellow or white. The cluster of flowers begins to bloom in summer, creating a bright and bold design. Butterfly shrubs can grow tall and wide, making them an ideal shrub to plant along a garden wall or at the edge of a perennial garden to help define space. These colorful bushes also attract butterflies and the ever-beautiful hummingbirds.

Spirea

Spirea is a deciduous shrub that blooms from spring to summer. Spirea bushes are also very easy to grow and look great as hedges or tucked into the garden. Flower colors come in a wide variety of colors, including yellow, pink, red, and white. Spirea can grow up to 10 feet tall and 20 feet wide, making it a stunning centerpiece for your garden. The many flowers that cover the bush are also deer resistant, making these colorful bushes every gardener's dream.

Juniper

This popular evergreen looks great when planted as a groundcover or in rows to create makeshift screens and small windbreaks. Their semi-opening and rich green color are perfect for a contrasting color in a flower garden. Junipers can grow up to 18 inches tall, making them a low growing shrub that can also be used around rock gardens. Juniper is also deer resistant and tolerates most soil types, making this lovely shrub an ideal plant.

Lilac

The lilac bush is a deciduous, deer-resistant plant that emits a sweet fragrance when flowering. The strong fragrance of flowers begins to permeate the area in spring. Light purple lilac flowers are complemented by dark green foliage with heart-shaped leaves. The lilac bush is ideal for accenting areas around the garden or creating a hedge filled with many lilac bushes.

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