Deer-Resistant Shrubs
Almost
every nurseryman has a list of deer-resistant plants. I present below my
list, based primarily on my own experience, but supplemented with a few
selections from literature. I welcome your comments. But first, some
thoughts on deer and their habits.
Feeding Habits of Deer
-
The notion for any
plant to be deer proof is mythical. Hungry deer, as they were this winter,
will eat almost anything. This winter they literally stripped the bark
from the trees. The hungrier and more desperate they become, the more
they are likely to browse or at least try some of their least
favorites. While the deer are experimenting, they will often chew off
and spit out pieces of plants that are supposed to be virtually deer
proof. In the process, of course, they disfigure the plant.
-
A
plant is particularly subject to danger at the end of winter and
whenever the new growth is tender.
-
In
general, deer will not jump over anything they can’t see over.
-
In
landscaping the yard, it is wise to remember that deer ritually follow
certain pathways everyday. It is wise to put the more tempting plants
away from these pathways. In some yards deer will not cross hard
surfaces such as walks and driveways. Sometimes it is even possible to
design a portion of the landscape comprised of tall plants that deer
generally avoid. This can create kind of a hallway that deer can use as
they cross through your yard. It is not easy to accomplish, but it is
sometimes possible.
-
There are all kinds of “repellents” (human hair, bars of soap and
playing radios) that people find to keep deer away from their plants.
Deer quickly adjust to all of these “repellents”, and no single one
seems to be reliable for more than a few weeks. Change is the key for
these supposed repellents to work at all. I find the best repellent to
be a monthly application of Milorganite fertilizer. Milorganite is made
from the sewer sludge from the city of Milwaukee, where there are
several major beer breweries. Rumor has it that Milorganite has a
slight essence of both beer and humans, which the deer associate with
hunters. Whatever the case, it does seem to work - at least over the
growing season months. Sprays, although they have to be re-applied
every few weeks (depending on the rain), are effective for short
periods. Ropel and Tree Guard have worked the best for us. Securely
netting the shrubs, especially in the winter, with almost-invisible
black plastic netting can work effectively. Evidently, deer wish to
avoid the sensation of their teeth getting tangled in the netting. Repellex
tablets, though expensive, are an excellent long term repellent.
-
To
confuse things even more, deer have regional taste preferences. What
they will eat in one neighborhood they will avoid in another. Some
plants which are particularly subject to regional taste preferences
are: white pine, holly (except American holly), aucuba, deciduous
magnolias, cornus mas, camellias, nandina, Japanese maples and birds
nest spruce.
-
A
species that deer will browse as a newly planted small plant will often
be left untouched as a mature, established plant.
|
|
Aucuba japonica
Variegata
Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)
fallowiana Lochinch
Serbian Spruce
|
Alan's Picks of
Deer-Resistant Plants
American Holly
Andromeda (Pieris japonica)
Aucuba japonica
Barberry - Japanese deciduous as well as evergreen species
Beauty Berry (Callicarpa)
Blue Spiraea/Blue Beard (Caryopteris)
Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)
Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)
Boxwood (Buxus)
Brooms (Cytisus and Genista)
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
Chaste Tree (Vitex angus-castus)
Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas)
Cotoneaster
Cryptomeria
Daphne
Grape Holly (Mahonia)
Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra)
Japanese Maple
Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus)
Juniper - especially J. virginiana varieties
Kerria
Leucothoe
Lilacs (except Miss Kim)
Magnolias - deciduous species
Miscanthus (Ornamental Grasses) - not a shrub, but because of its size,
sometimes can be used in place of shrubs
Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Nandina
Northern Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)
Norway Spruce (Picea abies)
Paw Paw (Asimina triloba)
Pee Gee Hydrangea (paniculata Grandiflora Webb)
Potentilla
Rose of Sharon (Hibsicus syriacus)
Rugosa Roses
Serbian Spruce (Picea omorika)
Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Spiraeas - spring-blooming white as well as summer-blooming in shades of
pink
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum)
Sweet Box (Sarcococca)
Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)
Viburnum
|
|
Our next newsletter will discuss Deer-Resistant Perennials.
Happy Gardening,
Alan Summers
Question of the Week
The plant
raising questions in many gardeners' minds this week is the Japanese Roof
Iris (Iris tectorum). This plant was featured in 2 articles in various
Southern Living publications, as well as on their web site.
Japanese Roof
Iris is a lovely iris with a delicate bloom. It is vigorous and
easy-to-grow in full sun or light shade. As long as the soil is
well-drained, it will grow in a moist place. It will also grow in the
driest, most parched soil.
It gets it name
from the fact that it has naturalized on the thatched roofs of rural
Japanese homes. In fact, the story goes that centuries ago in a period of
famine the emperor ordered all land to be stripped of its ornamental
plants, so that edibles could be grown. The resourceful Japanese planted
many of their most treasured ornamentals amongst the thatch in their roofs
in the hope that when the famine passed, they could return them to their
gardens. Of course most of the plants perished. However, Iris tectorum
took root and naturalized in their roofs. Thus the name: Japanese Roof
Iris.
There is some
confusion resulting from Southern Living’s pictures and nomenclature. The
white flowered form of that plant, featured in Southern Living, is
correctly named Iris tectorum Album. The lavender-purple form is correctly
named Iris tectorum. I believe the purple to be slightly prettier; the
white is definitely faster growing. |
Featured Plant -
Tectorum
As mentioned above, Iris tectorum, commonly
named Japanese Roof Iris, is especially reliable and easy to grow.
The
Iris tectorum Alba,
pictured to the right, features masses of wavy beardless white
flowers, speckled with darker purple in May-June.
Carroll Gardens features more than 80 Garden
Worthy™ varieties of Iris. To learn more and view our selection,
click here.
New
for 2003 at Carroll Gardens!
Callicarpa (commonly named Beauty Berry) Dark Star produces profuse
clusters of dark purple berries that deliver vivid color interest in
early fall. This is a deciduous woody ornamental with beautiful
green foliage on arching branches. Dark Star is more compact than
most Beautyberries, growing to 3 ft. tall and 5 ft. wide. It
performs well in full sun to shade and prefers moist, well-drained
soil.
Carroll Gardens is pleased to introduce the
Callicarpa Dark Star to our 2003 online catalog. To learn more
about the Callicarpa Dark Star, or to place an order,
click here. |
