Deer Damage to Trees and Landscaping

One of the most frustrating things to deal with this time of year is having a deer snack on your beloved plants. Even if you are the type of person to tolerate deer damage because you love them, beware! Deer are creatures of habit. Once they feel safe and find a tasty snack, they will visit regularly.

An increase in deer populations and a decrease in their natural habitat have set up a situation in which your favorite landscapes become alternative food sources for deer.  As winter approaches and food sources become scarce, feeding on leaves, stems, and buds of plants becomes more apparent. Male deer also cause damage by rubbing their antlers along the trunks of trees, stripping off the bark. Trees and shrubs can suffer permanent damage. Deer should always be discouraged immediately.

There are four ways to discourage deer: Fencing, repellents, predators, and deer-resistant plants. 

Fencing requires you to enclose your entire yard with a fence at least six feet tall. This is not necessarily an aesthetically pleasing option, nor is it cost-effective. In some cases, you can put barrier fencing around these individual plants. While it is still unsightly, protecting a tree while it is young is important. 

Homemade and commercial repellents are common control methods to discourage deer, but their effectiveness varies. Snow and rain can wash them away, so frequent applications are needed. Also, if food sources are scarce, deer may simply ignore the repellents, despite the taste or odor.

As far as predators go, a noisy dog is an excellent deer deterrent. If you don’t have a dog, you can hang shiny tape from branches, or place inflated balls and other moving objects in the yard to startle the deer with sudden movement. You’ll have to rotate these frequently, however, or deer will soon realize that they are not in danger from these objects.

If they are hungry enough and food is scarce enough, deer will eat almost anything. However, there are a number of plants that deer don’t find particularly palatable. Using these plants in your landscape is often the most cost-effective, least time-consuming, and most aesthetically pleasing solution.

Below is a list of trees and shrubs not favored by deer. However, the resistance of any plant species may change due to environmental factors.

Always check to make sure that a plant is not invasive to your area before you plant it! 

TREES

Common Name	Scientific Name
American chestnut	Castanea dentata
Bald-cypress	Taxodium distichum
Beech	Fagus spp.
Birch	Betula spp.
Catalpa	Catalpa spp.
Dawn redwood	Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Giant arborvitae	Thuja plicata
Ginkgo	Ginkgo biloba
Ironwood	Ostrya virginiana
Japanese tree lilac	Syringa reticulata
Larch	Larix spp.
Honey-locust	Gleditsia triacanthos
Redbud	Cercis canadensis
Sassafras	Sassafras albidum
Smoketree	Cotinus spp.
Sourwood	Oxydendrum arboreum
Sweetgum	Liquidambar styraciflua
Spruce	Picea spp.
Sycamore	Platanus occidentalis
Tulip tree	Liriodendron tulipifera

Shrubs

Common Name	Scientific Name
Boxwood	Buxus spp.
Leatherwood	Dirca palustris
Coralberry/Snowberry	Symphoricarpos spp.
* Poisonous, do not eat!
Forsythia	Forsythia spp.
Japanese kerria	Kerria japonica
Common lilac	Syringa vulgaris
Oregon grape-holly	Mahonia aquifolium
Smokebush	Cotinus spp
Spicebush	Lindera benzoin
Spirea	Spiraea spp.
Carolina allspice	Calycanthus floridus
Witch hazel	Hamamelis spp.

Ground Covers

Common Name	Scientific Name
Barren strawberry	Waldsteinia fragarioides
Bergenia	Bergenia cordifolia
Bugleweed	Ajuga reptans
Bunchberry	Cornus canadensis
Catmint	Nepeta x faassenii
Epimedium	Epimedium spp.
Ferns	Numerous species
Hens and chicks	Sempervivum spp.
Juniper	Juniperus spp.
Lady’s mantle	Alchemilla mollis
Lamium	Lamium spp.
Lily turf	Liriope spicata
Lungwort	Pulmonaria spp.
Mosses	————–
Pachysandra	Pachysandra spp.
Potentilla	Potentilla spp
Sedum	Sedum spp.
Snow-in-summer	Cerastium tomentosum
Sweet woodruff	Galium odoratum
Vinca	Vinca minor
Violet	Viola spp.
Wild ginger	Asarum canadense
Wild strawberry	Fragaria spp

Perennial Vines

Common Name	Scientific Name
Akebia	Akebia quinata
Bittersweet	Celastrus scandens
Clematis	Clematis spp.
Crimson glory vine	Vitis coignetiae
Silver lace vine	Polygonum aubertii
Trumpet creeper	Campsis radicans
Virginia creeper	Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Hardy Bulbs

Common Name	Scientific Name
Autumn crocus	Colchicum autumnalis
Crown imperial	Fritillaria imperialis
Daffodil	Narcissus spp.
Grape hyacinth	Muscari spp.
Glory-of-the-snow	Chionodoxa luciliae
Ornamental onion	Allium spp.
Siberian scilla	Scilla sibirica
Snowdrops	Galanthus nivalis
Winter aconite	Eranthis hyemalis

Annuals and Biennials

Common Name	Scientific Name
Ageratum	Ageratum houstonianum
Alyssum	Lobularia maritima
Candytuft	Iberis sempervirens
Forget-me-not	Myosotis spp.
Four o’clock	Mirabilis jalapa
Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea
Heliotrope	Heliotropium arborescens
Larkspur	Delphinium spp.
Lobelia	Lobelia spp.
Marigold	Tagetes spp.
Mexican sunflower	Tithonia rotundifolia
Mimulus	Mimulus spp.
Nasturtium	Tropaeolum majus
Petunia	Petunia spp.
Poppy	Papaver spp.
Salvia	Salvia spp.
Snapdragon	Antirrhinum majus
Stocks	Matthiola spp.
Sunflower	Helianthus annuus
Sweet William	Dianthus spp.

Hardy Perennials

Common Name	Scientific Name
Monkshood	Aconitum spp.
Anemone	Anemone spp.
Artemisia	Artemisia spp.
Astilbe	Astilbe spp.
Bee Balm	Monarda spp.
Bergenia	Bergenia cordifolia
Black-eyed Susan	Rudbeckia hirta
Butterfly weed	Asclepias tuberosa
Columbine	Aquilegia spp.
Coreopsis	Coreopsis spp.
Cranesbill	Geranium spp.
Fleabane daisy	Erigeron x hybridus
Foam flower	Tiarella cordifolia
Gentian	Gentiana spp.
Geum	Geum spp.
Goldenrod	Solidago spp.
Hellebore	Helleborus nigra
Hens & chicks	Sempervivum spp.
Hibiscus	Hibiscus spp.
Iris	Iris spp.
Jacob’s ladder	Polemonium caeruleum
Rose campion	Lychnis coronaria
Marsh marigold	Caltha palustris
Meadow rue	Thalictrum spp.
Meadowsweet	Filipendula spp.
Peony	Paeonia spp.
Phlox	Phlox divaricata
Pinks	Dianthus spp.
Purple coneflower	Echinacea purpurea
Rockcress	Arabis caucasica
Russian sage	Perovskia atriplicifolia
Salvia	Salvia spp.
Sedum	Sedum spp.
Shasta daisy	Chrysanthemum
Snakeroot	Eupatorium rugosum
Sneezeweed	Helenium autumnale
Snow-in-summer	Cerastium tomentosum
Speedwell	Veronica spp.
Toadflax	Linaria spp.
Valerian	Valeriana officinalis
Violet	Viola spp.
Yarrow	Achillea spp.

Herbs

Common Name	Scientific Name
Angelica	Angelica archangelica
Artemisia	Artemisia vulargis
Basil	Ocimum basilicum
Borage	Borago officinalis
Catmint	Nepeta x faassenii
Chamomile	Matricaria spp.
Chives	Allium schoenoprasum
Comfrey	Symphytum x rubrum
Dill	Anethum graveolens
Fennel	Foeniculum vulgare
Feverfew	Tanacetum parthenium
Germander	Teucrium chamaedrys
Hyssop	Hyssopus officinalis
Lamb’s ears	Stachys byzantina
Lavender	Lavandula angustifolia
Lemon balm	Melissa officinalis
Mint	Mentha spp.
Mullein	Verbascum spp.
Oregano	Origanum vulgare
Parsley	Petroselinum spp.
Rosemary	Rosmarinus officinalis
Rue	Ruta graveolens
Sage	Salvia officinalis
Savory	Satureja montana
Tansy	Tanacetum coccineum
Thyme	Thymus app.

Works Cited: 
Plants not favored by deer. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2019, from https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/horticulture-care/plants-not-favored-deer.