Use deer-tolerant plants in your home landscape to keep wildlife at bay

Spring is the perfect time to add new flowers and trees to your home landscape. However, deer may love the new addition as much as you do.

“Deer like nutrient-rich plants, especially in spring and summer when does are pregnant or nursing, when young deer are growing and when bucks are growing antlers,” said Michael Mengak, wildlife specialist with the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “Fertilized plants, such as those in home landscapes, provide protein, energy-rich carbohydrates, minerals and salts.”

Asiatic lilies, jessamine, daylily, hibiscus, hollyhock, hosta, Japanese maples, pansies and roses are a few deer favorites.

Adding deer-tolerant plants to the landscape will keep deer at bay, says Gary Wade, a UGA Cooperative Extension horticulturist.

“A good way to prevent deer from browsing in landscapes is to plant ornamental plants that deer do not like to eat,” Wade said. “Deer generally do not like plants with pungent aromas. They also shy away from plants with prickly or rough leaves and plants with a bitter taste.”

Deer-tolerant plants to try include:
Trees: bald cypress, crepe myrtle, Eastern red cedar, ginkgo, pawpaw, pine, spruce and tulip poplar.
Shrubs: boxwood, butterfly bush, common witchhazel, gardenia, Japanese rose, junipers, oleander, pomegranate, primrose jasmine and yucca.
Ornamental grasses: fountain grass, lemongrass, pampas grass and sedge.
Vines and groundcovers: columbine, creeping lantana, junipers and thyme.
Herbaceous perennials and bulbs: African lily, amaryllis, bee balm, butterfly weed, Christmas fern, daffodils, elephant ears, foam flower, iris, lantana, marjoram, peony, purple coneflower, tarragon, toad lily and yarrow.
Annuals: annual periwinkle, baby’s breath, basil, California poppy, snapdragon and sweet pea.

“There is no such thing as a deer-resistant plant, and when deer populations are high and food becomes scarce, deer may feed on plants that are thought to be deer-tolerant,” Mengak said.

By April Reese Sorrow
University of Georgia

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My 'maters are taking over...

Living on a fairly large piece of land with lots of roaming deer, rabbits and other wildlife I haven't tried to grow anything other than deer resistant plants (and even those temp the pesky animals during tough times).

This year, I decided I wanted tomatoes. Grape tomatoes and the bigger variety. There's a little plot sandwiched by bushes on one side and the driveway on the other that I figured might be somewhat safe from the deer at least.

When we bought the house the owners had flowers in the little plot and had surrounded it with one of those electric fences. I knew it was coming down when I found a poor little fried hummingbird still attached to the wiring while looking at the house. Later I found another one. I took it down within days of moving in.

I know the owners probably had it up because the deer were eating the flowers, but I thought I'd give it a shot... worst case I'd lose a few dollars worth of tomato plants.

Well, it's been a few months, my tomato plants are huge and I am overwhelmed with grape tomatoes. When I planted them I imagined these cute little plants with a few tomatoes. Ha, was I wrong. These things are almost as tall as I am and they're so dense I'm unable to find all the tomatoes. My husband calls my little patch the jungle.

I now hand tomatoes out to anyone who comes within arms length. My friends are starting to tell me they haven't finished the last batch and they're un-inviting me to stop by. I'm thinking about mailing some to my mom and dad. Maybe I could donate them to a local charity?

I also decided to grow some herbs, which was rather silly since my cooking these days consists of tossing a frozen dinner in the microwave. But they smell good and some of my friends are still happy to get some fresh basil.

I'm going to a meeting in a little bit. Guess what everyone is going to get from yours truly?

I am loving every minute of having a garden again!