What are those common deer-resistant trees and shrubs? Deer will eat almost any plants if they are hungry enough. When asked about what some of the common deer resistant trees and shrubs are, our panel of...
When asked about what some of the common deer resistant trees and shrubs are, our panel of top experts from Greenview Landscaping including Johanna who has been a landscape designer with the company since 2002, Ben who is a landscape design/build manager, and Tom who serves as the company's maintenance manager says, "Deer will eat anything that's in front of them, basically. But they don't prefer anything where the foliage is really sticky, very feathery or hairy. They tend to stay away from that type of foliage. So, instead of using yews or evergreens, we would recommend boxwood because the deer don't like the foliage. (In fact), there are extreme cases where large yews are just eaten into the ground and then the same (sized) boxwood is not even touched." Some other types of plants that are known to be deer resistant are firs, hollies, junipers, pines, spruces, cherry laurels, mahonias, nandinas pyracanthas, rhododendrons and viburnums.
Another option for repelling deer is to install a fence around your property that is too high for them to jump over. If the code in your area does not allow that height, then you must get creative by planting larger shrubs in front of it (of a variety that they are not attracted to, of course) or purchase some mesh netting from you local garden or home improvement store that is manufactured specifically to keep deer out of your yard. There is also netting available that you can drape over the favorite snacking shrubs of the deer.
Other options that are on the market include motion activated sonic "warning systems" and water spraying systems. The actual quality of these devices is still debatable; some swear by them, others say that they are worthless. Deer, like any other animal, tend to have their own individual personalities. Some scare easily, others are bold and once they get use to a certain "scare tactic", it may not work any longer. There are also deer repellant chemicals that mimic rotten eggs or predator urine.
Some home remedies to help make your existing trees and shrubs deer-resistant include putting animal matter on or around the plants (the theory is that deer will smell the difference and, being herbivores, will not be tempted to eat them) or sprinkling the plantings with bad tasting substances such as garlic, hot sauce or castor oil. One of the more simple ideas is to get a dog that is trained to stay on your property and chase away the deer. This also adds the added benefit of natural "predator" urine being deposited on the trees and shrubs.
Creating a deer-resistant yard is all about trial and error. As the panel of experts said before, deer will basically eat anything that is set before them. Finding what repellent works best in your area requires research and testing different theories. Creatures are a part of nature, so it follows that they will always, at least some of the time, be a part of or affect your landscape design
