Part One is a background of deer-resistant planting, design aspects and a suggestion list of ornamental grasses.
Part Two contains deer-resistant perennials for shade
Part Three contains deer-resistant perennials for sun and a list of links to information about gardening with deer.
Deer-resistant Perennials for Sun
Many plants that grow in hot sun develop a soft grey fuzziness on their leaves. Many of these plants are unpalatable to deer, and if they are also aromatic, deer will be repelled by them. Santolina is one of the strongest of the aromatic plants, and some gardeners say that a garden with a very generous portion of santolina combined in with other perennial plantings will repel them from the whole area. Aromatic Artemisias such as wormwood and southernwood work the same way, as does lavender.
Many of the deer-resistant plants below are these kinds of plants. You will also find ones with strong flavours and prickles.
- Acaena spp - New Zealand Burrs grow in low mats, dying back to the roots in temperatures below -10 degrees celcius.
- Acanthus spp. - Bears Breeches are also listed in part 2 (shade plants), and in hot sun their leaves may scald.
- Achillea spp - Not all yarrows are deer-resistant. Choose ones with grey-green leaves such as summer pastels, Anthea, Paprika, ptarmica or Moonshine.
- Aconitum spp - Monkshoods like a bit of shade and moist soil. They make a good substitute for Delphiniums, growing to 4 to 5 feet tall in colours in blue, white and pale yellow.
- Allium spp> - Ornamental onions are something deer don't like, but generally the stronger the flavour the more turned off they will be. Chives make very pretty flowers. They've been known to snack on heads of the giant purple kinds.
- Antennaria spp. - Pussytoes form grey mats in dry areas, and host white or pink flowers on short stems in spring.
- Arabis spp. - Rock Cress forms low mats and cascades over walls in sun and well-drained soil. There are white and pink flowered varieties.
- Angelica gigas - This purple-seeded Angelica is deer-tolerant, but I'm not sure about the others. These look very nice growing with ornamental grasses. They will form large, bold leaves for up to 2 years and then send up a massive flower stalk of white flowers held on an umbel.
- Arenaria montana - Sandwort is a robust spring blooming mat forming perennial hosting white flowers in late-spring.
- Armoracia rusticana - This is horseradish. A new variegated forms has arrived that's very interesting.
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