| Reccomended
Deer Resistant Full Sun Plants Ornamental
Chives (Allium sp.) - 6-12” tall, zones
4-9, full sun. Globe-shaped flowers fascinate me for their gravity-defying
structure. Even though these Alliums are all under a foot tall,
they will catch your eye accenting shrubs or borders. Foliage
has enough onion smell to keep those deer at bay.
Silver Mound (Artemisia schmidtiana) - 10-12"
tall, 18" wide, zones 5-8, full sun. Spreads to form a silvery
carpet of deeply toothed, almost silky leaves. Adds a unique texture
to your garden while providing a great backdrop for your brighter
blooms. Very hardy.
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias) - 2-4’ tall,
zones 5-9, full sun. Displays its flowers over a long period and
has seeds that show off by puffing up like cotton and floating
through the air on cool autumn days. Butterfly larvae sometimes
feed on the leaves, returning as butterflies to enjoy the flower
nectar. Asclepias emerges late in the spring (remember where you
plant them and take care not to damage them before they sprout).
It prefers a well drained soil and is tolerant of drought.
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia Davidii) 4-6’
tall, zones 5-9, full sun. Large colorful
trusses of fragrant flowers attract butterflies. Buddleia is a
shrub but in coldwinter zones, treat it like a perennial. Prune
back to live wood in spring (often nearly to the ground). Great
choice for quick height this season.
Boxwood (Buxus sp.) - 2-3' tall, zones 4-8,
full sun, partial shade and/or full
shade. Here's a deer-country dream come true! The woodsy, natural
form looks great as a rounded contrast in a natural setting or
as a formal edging. One of the few evergreens that the deer don't
eat!
Common Sweetshrub, Carolina Allspice (Calycanthus
floridus) - Grows 3' to 5' tall and spreads by stolons, zones
5-10. Does well in full sun, part sun, shade, wet or dry soils.
A good plant for many areas because of its sweet smell and tolerance
of any condition. Flowers red or maroon in April for a month or
longer. Can bloom April-June. Flowers have good strawberry fragrance.
Degree of fragrance depends on weather conditions and seedling
variation.
Daphne (Daphne mezereum 'Alba') - 2-3' tall
and wide, zones 5-8, full sun,
partial shade. This great shrub is toxic and the deer know it!
Be sure to
plant where you can enjoy three seasons of show: small white blooms
about the time crocus bloom, bright red berries in summer and
green
leaves into fall.
Nikko (Deutzia sp.) - 1-2’ tall, 3-5’
wide, zones 5-8, full sun to part shade,
medium moisture. Low maintenance shrub with white flowers that
bloom in spring.
Cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma) - 12-16"
tall, 24" wide, zones 4-8, full sun. Cushion spurge; syn.
epithymoides. Mounded clump packed with yellow flowers (technically
cyathia and involucres) from midspring to midsummer.
American Beech (Fagus grandiflora) - 50’
- 70’ tall, 120’ wide, zone 4, full sun best—does
not like overly wet soils. A wide spreading deciduous tree. Trunk
is short and branches generally touch ground. If tree is in crowded
conditions, tree will assume a more upright habit. Slow growth
rate.
Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) - 8" tall,
zones 4-7; partial shade to
shade. Woodland ground cover spreads by rhizomes. Star shaped
scented leaves encourage the deer to pass by. Small white flowers
in
spring.
Roseanne Geranium 9-12" tall, zones 5-8,
full sun to partial shade. Geraniums are hardy to Zone 5 and feature
pleasantly fragrant and deer-resistant foliage. They spread slowly
to form long-blooming mats of color, useful as ground cover or
front-of-the-border feature. Purple flowers in early summer on
low
growing, slowly spreading ground cover. Delightful aromatic foliage
turns red
in fall.
Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba) - 40-70’
tall, 20-30’ wide, zones 3-9, full sun and range of soil
types, but does not like wet soil. Form is pyramidal; irregular
horizontal branches; picturesque. Deciduous tree with emerald
green fan shaped leaves and yellow fall color.
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum sp.) - 30"
tall and wide, zones 5-7, full sun to partial shade. Hardy, tightly
mounded shrub produces masses of 1" golden yellow flowers
in midsummer. Plants tolerate hard pruning if they become too
large.
Dead Nettles (Lamium sp.) - 4-6" tall,
zones 4-9, partial to full shade. Colorful leaves and tolerance
of ordinary soil make this a popular ground cover. Silver leaves
lined with green with white flowers in May-June.
Lavender (Lavandula) - Full sun, zones 5-10,
many varieties differing in heights and widths. Famous for their
fragrance. Prune in spring to 6-8" to induce vigorous new
growth. An old favorite, Lavender "Munstead" is a dependable
performer blooming with pleasing lavender blue flowers. The flower
color is sometimes variable as is the plant size.
Melissa - Lemon Balm 18-24" tall, space
18," zones 4-7, full sun. Decorative plant does well in poor,
well drained soil. Lemony scented leaves foil the deer.
Golden yellow leaves standout all season plus white flowers tinted
pale lilac
appear irregularly throughout the summer.
Monarda - Bee Balm 3' tall, zones 4-8, full
sun, partial shade. When you are
not watching hummingbirds fighting each other over the air rights
to your
Monarda, you'll be enjoying the fantastic blossoms! Very aromatic
foliage sends Bambi to browse elsewhere. Plants spread rapidly
to form a showy mass. They prefer moisture-retentive soil.
Northern Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) - Typically
grows from 5 to 6 feet high but can reach 10 feet. Spreads easily
and forms colonies. Often found in coastal areas. Foliage is semi
evergreen aromatic. Will grow well in dry, infertile, sandy, acidic
soils. Grows best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade.
Zones 2-6. Native.
Peony (Paeonia sp.) - 30-36" tall, zones
3-8, full sun to part shade. Variety of
colors, bloom times range from spring to early summer. Stunning
cut flower.
Avoid planting your peony too deeply and be patient with it as
it can take a few years to settle in before it begins to flower
- the blooms are well worth the wait!
Dwarf Alberta Spruce (Picea sp.) -Prefers full
sun, acidic soils, hardy to zone 3. Evergreen trees. Standard
growth is conical, 8-10’ tall, 3-4’
wide. Need to allow room for growth.
Potentilla (Potentilla cinquefoil) - 2-3' tall,
5' wide, zones 3-7, full sun. White or yellow flowers throughout
the summer. Blue-green foliage, spreading habit. The name Potentilla
comes from the Greek "potens," meaning powerful, from
reputed medicinal qualities. Enjoy the summer-long flowering qualities
of these
selections and your deer will leave the taste testing to the drug
companies.
These tough, deciduous shrubs thrive in almost any soil.
Low Grow Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low')
- 24-30" tall, 6-8’ spread, zones 4-9, full sun, partial
shade. A tall, spreading ground cover or short hedge with glossy
green foliage and superb orange-red fall color.
Meadow Sage (Salvia sp.) - 18" tall, space
15," zones 5-9, full sun. Here is
another fresh-smelling plant that the deer just can't stand. You'll
enjoy the
midsummer spikes of colorful blooms year after year. Closest to
true blue. Likes sunny spot in well drained soil.
Spiraea (Spirea sp.) - Grows 2 feet high with
3 to 4 feet spread. Dwarf spirea
with pinkish purple flowers in mid summer. Yellow-red new growth
makes
this spirea attractive all season. Best in full sun, tolerates
shade.. Moist soil. Zones 4 –8.
Lambs' Ears (Stachys byzantina) - 16”
tall, 24” wide, full sun, hardy
perennialLambs' ears is a well-known ground-covering perennial,
popular for
its soft, fluffy foliage. Plants flower in mid-summer, and the
thick silvery-felty
stems with knotty buds are quite a feature. Once established,
plants are
reasonably drought-tolerant, making this a good choice for a dry
sunny border
or gravel garden.
Arborvitae (Thuja Green Giant sp.) - Full Sun.
20-30’ tall, 5-15’ spread. Zones 2-8. Evergreen. Loose,
tall pyramid with glossy dark-green foliage. Reported resistant
to deer browse. Great as a windscreen or hedge. Will get leggy
and less attractive in shade.
Thyme (Thymus sp.) - Varieties range from 2-10”
tall, 6-10” spread, zones 5-9, full sun to partial shade.
Foliage, flowers and fragrance! The word thymus is Greek for "courage,"
something the deer are missing when it comes to browsing thyme.
Use for edging walks, in containers and among stepping stones.
Useful as a garnish and in herb butters.
Doublefile Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum tomentosa)
- 8-10’ tall, spreading habit; full sun to partial shade;
hardy to zone 5. Requires moist, well-drained soils, suffers in
both clay and drought. In late spring, Viburnum plicatum var.
tomentosum produces masses of white flowers along horizontal branches.
The
resulting display can be absolutely outstanding, with the blossoms
seemingly
floating on air above the foliage.
Old Fashioned Weigela (Weigela florida) - 4-6’
tall, 4-6’ spread, zones 3-8, full sun and wide soil variety.
Foliage is deep, purple-tinted green and forms a
compact mound, reaching 6' when mature. Flowers bloom in early
summer and
again in late summer. Flowers attract hummingbirds. Suitable for
shrub and
mixed border.
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