Oh Dear – The Deer Diet

By Delores Barber, KCMGA

As I sit here on December 31 and watch a white tailed deer eating a Norway spruce and its pal foraging on lower growing vegetation I know they are desperate, because I see they have resorted to such unpalatable greenery for their breakfast. I have sympathy for them in their search for food and resolve to remember this in the spring and summer when they make their daily visits to my gardens still in search of food. Of course, by then they will be eating my hosta, daylilies and other ornamentals I planted before my quest to plant a deer resistant garden. I will try to keep in mind that they must consume an enormous amount of plant material to meet their need to eat five to ten pounds of food per day.

The key is to have the deer meet their own needs without destroying your valuable trees, shrubs and other plants, so preventive measures must be used. There are many methods written about and tried by gardeners and I attempt to address most of them briefly.

There are products on the market that advertise their ability to protect your plants from deer damage. These are designed to keep Bambi away by the use of scents and/or flavors that are repulsive to deer. These include such things as spray-on products and predator urine. All of these must be reapplied after a rain or heavy watering. Some people report success with the use of these products, while others say it is a waste of money and effort. 

Homemade repellent recipes abound. All of them seem to include spoiled raw eggs and hot pepper sauce (see recipe). The purpose of the pepper is to deter the deer as well as other wildlife, such as raccoons, that are attracted by the eggs or fats in these home remedies. A gardening friend in Jackson County swears the spoiled egg spray has saved her hosta from damage for the last two years.

Another tactic I have seen on gardening programs is the use of strong smelling bar soap, and Irish Spring seems to be the one of choice. A hole is drilled through the soap to enable gardeners to make a “soap on a rope.” The soap is then hung from tree or shrub branches. General directions say to space bars no more than three feet apart and up to six feet high around the area you wish to preserve. It is suggested that wrappers be left on the bars to help prevent the melting soap from dripping on trunks and branches. The fats from the soaps encourage other animals to eat the bark from the affected trees and shrubs which could result in major damage to these plants.

Fences provide one of the best methods of protection from wildlife damage. Most sources recommend a fence be at least eight feet high to prevent the deer from jumping over this barrier. It is also recommended the fencing material be sunk into the ground at least 18-24 inches deep, so the deer will not crawl under a loosely constructed area. 

Another method of barrier control involves installing posts around the perimeter of your garden and attaching several lines of 50 pound heavy gauge fishing line to the post. The theory is the deer will dislike running into this line and will look for other areas to feed. Of course, if you have other wildlife, this method will not deter them. Several gardeners I know have installed electric fencing. All of these people say this is the most effective method to use. 

The last method I’ve read about uses wire or netting that is placed flat on the ground surrounding the area you want to protect. It is reported that the deer (and some other animals) do not like to walk on the material and often get their feet tangled in the wire. This causes them to avoid the area.

Dogs prove to be a good deterrent for most forms of wildlife. Of course, the dog needs to be of the proper temperament and must be kept outside most of the time. It can be free to roam within a fenced area or kept on a leash. 

Keep in mind that deer are creatures of habit, so any method you choose should be started at the beginning of the growing season. Once the deer discover an area that is unpleasant to them they are less likely to return and will look for greener grass elsewhere.

I do not use the term “deer proof,” when talking about gardening, because I have learned from experience that this is not possible. The eating habits of deer vary greatly depending on the region of the county  (even within a community), what is available and how hungry they are. Several years ago I  read an article written by an upstate New York gardener that listed Vinca minor as a favorite plant for deer. However, in Gardening in Deer Country by Vincent Drzewucki, Jr., this plant is listed as one of the most least likely to attract deer. In addition, I have grown this plant as a ground cover for at least five years without it being on their menu.

What I have decided is to try to garden using plants least likely to attract deer. This does not mean that other wildlife will leave your plants alone, but it does give you a better chance to have plants that grow to maturity. Over the last several years I have collected lists of deer resistant plants from a variety of sources, and read articles and books that give tips. One of my most useful tools has been my eyes--by observing and making notes of plants that the deer leave alone. This includes native plants that grow along side roads, in the woods and fields in my area and also ornamentals that have been deliberately planted. Once I find a plant that seems unharmed, I feel I can try other varieties within the same family. These plants are usually left alone for several reasons--they are toxic to wildlife, the aroma of the plant is repulsive, foliage is too fuzzy or plants include prickly parts that make it difficult to eat.

Toxicity is one of the most common reasons deer leave particular plant families unharmed. Examples of this include the ranunculaceae family (native buttercups), aquilegia (columbine) and daffodils. I have grown daffodils in a naturalized setting for over ten years with no animal damage. During this time I have had a wonderful display of blooms every spring and have divided them for replanting.

Deer shun aromatic foliage of many plants, including many herbs used for cooking or medicinal purposes. Examples in this category include chives, basil, lavender and ornamental onions. Deer seem to dislike fuzzy foliage. One tasting of these plants is usually all it takes to send them looking for other food. Plants in this category include Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan), Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) and Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ears). Of course, we can all think of examples of plants with thorns and needles that would be least likely to be part of the deer’s diet. The following is a list of a few plants that are considered the most likely to be deer resistant.

Trees                                                                                                  

Betula papyrifera (Paper Birch)

Carpinus betulus (European Hornbeam)

Carya cordiformis (Bitternut Hickory)

Castanea mollissima (Chinese Chestnut)

Cedrus atlantica (Atlas Cedar)

Cornus kousa (Kousa Dogwood)

Ilex opaca (American Holly)

Laburnum anagroides (Golden-Chain Tree)

Magnolia x soulangiana (Saucer Magnolia)

Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood)

Prunus serrulata (Japanese Flowering Cherry)

Salix matsudana (Corkscrew Willow)

Shrubs

Aucuba japonica (Goldust Plant)

Berberis thunbergii (Japanese Barberry)

Buddleia davidii (Butterfly Bush)

Buxus sempervirens (Common Boxwood)

Chaenomeles japonica (Japanese Flowering Quince)

Cornus sericea (Red Osier Dogwood)

Euonymus alatus (Winged Euonymus)

Forsythia x intermedia (Border Forsythia)

Ilex cornuta (Chinese Holly)

Juniperus chinensis (Chinese Juniper)

Pieris japonica (Japanese Andromeda)

Viburnum carlesii (Koreanspice Viburnum)

Ground Covers

Ajuga reptans (Bugleweed)

Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi (Bearberry)

Convallaria majalis (Lily-of-the-Valley)

Pachysandra terminalis (Pachysandra or Japanese Spurge)

Sempervirens tectorum (Hens-and-Chicks)

Vinca minor (Periwinkle or Myrtle)

Vines

Akebia quinata (Fiveleaf Akebia)

Campsis radicans (Trumpet Vine)

Celastrus scandens (Bittersweet)

Euonymus (Wintercreeper)

Wisteria floribunda (Japanese Wisteria)

Perennials

Achillea millefolium (Yarrow)

Aconitum carmichaelii (Monkshood)

Aquilegia (Columbine)

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Milkweed)

Aster novi-belgi (New York Aster)

Astilbe x arendsii (Hybrid Astilbe)

Centaurea cineraria (Dusty Miller)

Coreopsis lanceolata (Lance Coreposis)

Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)

Digitalis (Foxglove)

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Gaillardia (Gaillardia)

Helleborus (Hellebore)

Hesperis (Dame’s Rocket)

Hibiscus moscheutos (Rose Mallow)

Iris (Iris)

Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)

Monarda didyma (Beebalm)

Myosotis (Forget-Me-Not)

Oenethera (Sundrops)

Paeonia officinalis (Common Peony)

Perovskia x hybrida (Russian Sage)

Polemonium caeruleum (Jacob’s Ladder)

Salvia (Meadowsage)

Santolina (Lavender-cotton)

Tiarella cordifolia (Foamflower)

Veronica (Speedwell)

Annuals

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)

Dianthus (Sweet William)

Consolida (Larkspur)

Iberis umbellata (Candytuft)

Ipomoea purpurea (Morning Glory)

Papaver (Poppy)

Tagetes patula (French Marigold)

Tropaeolum majus (Nasturtium)

Bulbs

Allium giganteum (Giant Ornamental Onion)

Chionodoxa (Glory-of-the-Snow)

Colchicum (Autumn Crocus)

Eranthus (Winter Aconite)

Galanthus nivalis (Common Snowdrop)

Leucojum (Snowflake)

Muscari botryoides (Common Grape Hyacinth)

Narcissus (Narcissus, Daffodils and Jonquils)

Scilla siberica (Siberian Squill)

Herbs (common names)

Angelica

Anise

Artemisia

Basil

Chives

Comfrey

Feverfew

Lavendar

Lemon Balm

Lovage

Oregano

Parsley

Pennyroyal, European

Rue

Sage

Savory

Tansy

Thyme