The reliably deer resistant plants in my garden are all from the same family tree. Well, not an actual tree, but they are classified in botany as belonging to the Lamiaceae family. A few of the relatives of the mint family may surprise you since they are great flowering plants for the garden. A few other relatives, you will know as being mints (and can run rampant). You'll recognize some well-behaved herbs as well as foliage plants.
Understanding a bit about plant families can help you select the plants that will survive a deer onslaught. The Lamiaceae family of plants has never even been sampled by the deer herd on my property. As with all other authors of this subject, I must say that there is always the possibility that your deer will be desperate enough to learn to like any plant.
TAMU Image Gallery for Plant Family: Lamiaceae
In my deer resistant garden, I am growing the following plants from the family Lamiaceae:
Agastache (hyssop)
Ajuga
Caryopteris (blue mist shrub; also classified as Verbenaceae)
Lavandula (lavender)
Mentha (mint - in pots only!)
Monarda (bee balm)
Nepeta
Ocimum (basil)
Origanum (marjoram, oregano)
Perovskia (Russian sage)
Phlomis (Jerusalem sage)
Physostegia (Obedient plant - 'Miss Manners')
Rosmarinus (rosemary)
Salvia (sage - herbs and flowers)
Scutellaria (flower, skullcap)
Stachys (betony, lamb's ear)
Thymus (thyme)
Vitex (chaste tree)
There are a few other good plant families for deer resistant gardens, such as Verbenaceae that includes verbena and lantana. The deer did, however, pick quite a few lantana flowers last fall, much to my surprise as they left it alone all summer and all years in the past.
The Buddleja (buddleia, butterfly bush) is another reliable, deer resistant family of summer flowering shrubs.
The Asteraceae (aster) family of plants can be hit-or-miss with deer. I am growing the following with some success (noted), but you may have some nibbling of these with your deer herd:
Achillea (yarrow - no problems)
Ageratum (floss flower - some nibbles, nothing significant)
Aster (eaten by rabbits, gave up)
Chrysanthemum (mums - haven't sufficiently tested, but on my list)
Coreopsis (tickseed - no deer problems, but I wonder about rabbits?)
Echinacea (sampled, no serious damage, but protect from rabbits)
Echinops (didn't eat while in bloom, but ate foliage down after bloom; plants returned this year)
Gaillardia (blanket flower - a nip here and there, but got masses of blooms)
Helianthus (severe munching of swamp sunflower)
Osteospermum (annual, no damage)
Rudbeckia ('Goldsturm', no deer problems, but rabbits love these)
Most of my deer resistant testing has been with perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs and trees. For the summer, I have sown great quantities of annual seeds (larkspur, poppies, strawflowers, cleome, nicotiana, tagetes, flax, zinnias, etc.) to test. Snapdragons have been reliably deer resistant. I have just planted Angelonia to test.
I will always report my results here on my blog and you can check past stories by selecting my deer resistance topic on the sidebar.
Story and photos by Freda Cameron
Thanks for this very informative post. I don't have deer or rabbit problems in my yard, but have some family members who always complain about the deer. I am forwarding this on to them.
ReplyDeleteDear Cameron,
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are out in the garden!Loved your blooms from the last post too. Lilacs don't come this far south but I have a viney plant that has some very pretty lilac-like blooms---Petrea volubilis or Queen's wreath.
Your roses are fabulous. I knew I couldn't wait for your garden to start blooming for a very good reason... it is just so lovely.
I'm glad I don't have deer. The armadillos did some damage last night rooting around in everything though. The peacocks are behaving lately since my little fencing I put up.
Enjoy this spring wonderment!!!!
Meems
It seems odd since some of the plants are edible to people.
ReplyDeleteYou have the right attitude about gardening in an area populated by lots of deer. I've had friends who insisted on growing roses in high deer areas. Constant frustration, endless battles, ever growing expense. Fighting never works out well for people or deer.
Marnie
Another beautiful day here! Getting too hot too quickly, but I won't complain after a long winter.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see my results of sowing annuals in the outer gardens to see what the deer won't eat. I know that the rabbits will go after the zinnias, but the deer aren't supposed to like them... time will tell!
Cameron
Thanks for the the detailed info on deer resistant plantings. I don't have to deal with these pests thankfully. However my son is working landscaping for a company that is surrounded by 38 acres of woods. I will be passing this list onto him to give his boss. They've been having a hard time with the gardens. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Cameron
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I look at deer differently these days!
I'd love to see how your Cleome look later in the year. I always find they're slow to start and then suddenly take off.
Rob
Great plant list to keep as a resource Cameron!! Drove through Chapel Hill both ways this week on our trekk to SC. Thought of you...so do you have a list of beaver resistant plants? New challenges!
ReplyDeleteVery nice as I know nothing much at all about plant families. Trying to learn though. Thanks! Have fun outside.
ReplyDeleteDeer resistant plants are a hot topic in Austin, and in my new neighborhood in particular. It's a little late for planting now in Austin, but I'm tempted to start a new bed out front to give some of these a try with my deer herd.
ReplyDelete