Deer Resistant Trees & Shrubs

Deer have become a major problem in many gardens and landscapes. Much of this is due to loss of habitat and a lack of natural predation on deer, thereby making landscapes susceptible. Luckily, there are several ways to reduce losses.

One is providing good natural deer habitat away from formal landscapes. A second method is fencing off your landscape; however, this can be both price prohibitive and unsightly. The third method is to use plants that are not preferred by deer as food. We recommend using low nitrogen fertilizers (nitrogen is the first number on fertilizer bags when you see N-P-K) as this is less palatable to deer.

The following plants are not preferred as food by deer, but be aware, a hungry deer will eat almost anything.

• Acer (Maple)
• Amelanchier (Serviceberry)
• Betula (Birch)
• Cercidiphyllum (Katsura)
• Clethra (Summersweet)
• Cornus (Dogwood)
• Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster)
• Crataegus (Hawthorne)
• Cytisus (Broom)
• Enkianthus (Enkianthus)
• Euonymus (Euonymus, Burning Bush)
• Forsythia (Forsythia)
• Ginkgo (Maidenhair Tree)
• Ilex (Holly, Inkberry, Winterberry)
• Juniperus (Juniper)
• Kalmia (Mountain Laurel)
• Laburnum (Goldenchain Tree)
• Leucothoe (Leucothoe)
• Lindera (Spice Bush)
• Magnolia (Magnolia)
• Myrica (Northern Bayberry)
• Picea (Spruce)
• Pieris (Andromeda)
• Pinus (Pine)
• Potentilla (Cinquefoil)
• Prunus (Cherry, Plum, Almond)
• Pyrus (Pear)
• Rosa (Rose)
• Salix (Willow)
• Sciadopitys (Japanese Umbrella Pine)
• Spiraea (Spirea)
• Stephanandra (Stephanandra)
• Stewartia (Stewartia)
• Styrax (Snowbell)
• Syringa (Lilac)
• Weigela (Weigela)