How to find deer-resistant plants & keep deer out of your garden for good
You might have deer without even knowing it. An arborist shows me what deer damage looks like and how you can reclaim your garden back.
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If your once-full shrubs suddenly look bare from the bottom up, deer may be the reason. Many homeowners first notice the problem when plants like arborvitae start looking “skirted,” with all the greenery eaten several feet off the ground. It’s often called a “deer line,” and in areas with a lot of deer, almost every evergreen can look completely bare from about six feet down because of deer grazing.
I spoke to Evan Dackow, an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® with Jolly Green Tree, about how to identify the problem and keep your yard safe from deer.
What Deer Damage Looks Like in Your Garden
One of the most obvious signs of deer browsing is uneven foliage loss. Deer tend to eat the lower branches first, leaving the top intact while the bottom becomes stripped and woody. Deer damage could be worse than usual this year because of the snowy winter.
“When everything was covered and we had two feet of snow, they will eat anything,” Dackow says.
Natural food sources were buried for weeks at a time this winter, but deer never stop eating, so they move into neighborhoods searching for whatever plants they can find—even plants they might normally avoid, like spiky holly trees.
The difference is that plants like holly often recover quickly from deer damage. Some species can even grow back with more spikes as an adaptation to discourage browsing.
Deer eat with their front teeth and rip plant growth out.
“You can see they just rip the wood,” Dackow added, describing how deer often tear bark and branches while feeding.
The Best Ways to Protect Plants From Deer
It’s important to use a combination of protection methods to be most effective. Deer are grazers, so they may only return to a garden once every few weeks.
1. Put the Right Plant in the Right Place
Choosing plants that deer are less likely to eat is one of the most effective long-term solutions. Deer are very sensitive to smell, and strong fragrances, fuzzy leaves, and spiky textures tend to discourage browsing.
Many gardeners rely on deer-resistant plants such as herbs, ornamental grasses, and perennials like native echinacea, which are very rarely grazed by deer.
However, it’s important to remember that “deer resistant” does not mean “deer proof.” If food is scarce enough, deer will still eat plants they normally avoid.
2. Install a Proper Deer Fence
For serious deer problems, fencing remains the most reliable defense. Deer are fantastic jumpers, so a sturdy nine-foot-tall deer fence is needed to keep them out of your garden.
Short fences are easy for deer to jump over and will offer little protection.
3. Use Deer Repellent Regularly
Deer deterrent sprays can also help protect vulnerable plants when used consistently, and most are safe to use. Dackow says deer sprays have been very effective at keeping deer out of certain areas, but they need to be reapplied regularly.
Deer repellents use a combination of smell deterrents like rotten eggs, garlic, and predator scents along with taste deterrents such as hot pepper and botanical extracts from bitter plants to turn deer away.
They need to be directly applied to plants every week or two at first, but over time you can train deer to stay clear.
Plants That Are “Deer Candy”
These are often the first plants that indicate you may have a deer problem.
Arborvitae
The most common plant used for privacy in the tri-state area and often one of the first to be damaged by deer.
Hosta
A popular perennial that wildlife loves. It’s edible and delicious to deer and typically won’t recover from damage after its summer flush until the following year.
Daylilies
A small grassy plant with vibrant flowers. Although toxic to many animals, deer love them.
Tulips
These spring flowers can be chewed down and destroyed for an entire season if deer find them.
Yews
A common shrub used along pathways that can eventually grow into a large tree. It’s considered a favorite food source for deer.
If your leaves suddenly disappear overnight, deer are often the culprit. But deer aren’t the only animals that target these plants. Rabbits and squirrels can also cause damage, so identifying the exact pest is important before choosing a control strategy.
Have more questions? Follow me on Instagram or Facebook, or find Evan Dackow from Jolly Green Tree through the contact page on his website.
