Deer damage to ornamental plants is increasingly a suburban problem. Deer populations in neighborhoods have increased rapidly due to abandoned farms, hunting restrictions and suburban sprawl. Deer are selective feeders that eat leaves from flowers, shrubs and ornamental trees. Damage to larger trees can extend up to 7 feet. In some areas, deer damage peaks in winter when snow cover reduces the food supply. Most areas with overpopulated deer herds experience problems year-round. The availability of natural food sources and the taste preferences of individual deer make deer proofing a difficult task in many areas.
Deer will eat almost any plant rather than starve, so damage control measures will be needed in addition to careful plant selection. Use of fencing and repellents can help control deer damage to landscapes. A fence is the most effective control against deer damage. An 8-foot fence is generally sufficient to deter deer, and lower fences can work if they slant away from your yard. Tree protectors or shelters also prevent deer from browsing on young trees. Made of polypropylene tubing, plastic tree wrap, or woven-wire mesh cylinders, netting can be used to protect individual or group plantings. The netting can be left on year-round if it’s attached loosely at the base to allow for plant growth.
Repellents may help reduce deter deer, but they do not eliminate damage completely. Homemade repellents include rotting eggs (mix two eggs with a gallon of water and spray the mixture on ornamentals). The eggs rot on the plants and the smell repels deer. Human hair hung in mesh bags makes a simple repellent. Hang the hair bags on the outer branches of trees about a yard apart, and replace them monthly. Bars of strong-smelling soap hung in the same way will also work. This is a good way to make use of all those aromatic gift soaps you don’t plan to use. Repellents containing predator urine or spray-on, soap-based mixtures usually only last a few weeks, depending on the weather.
Once deer taste your garden, it is difficult to rid them of the habit. Replacing your current mix or trees and shrubs with plants that are less appealing will help move the herd along to other sites. The Tree Care Industry Association recommends planting trees that have a history of surviving areas of heavy deer activity, such as:
Best trees
Bottlebrush Buckeye, Downy Serviceberry, Shadbush, Allegheny Serviceberry, Chinese Paper Birch, ‘Heritage’ Heritage Birch, Paper Birch, Japanese Falsecypress, Japanese Cedar, Colorado Blue Spruce, Scotch Pine, and Douglas Fir.
Best Shrubs and Climbers
Bearberry, Pawpaw, Barberry, Boxwood, Caryopteria, American Bittersweet, Red Osier Dogwood, Japanese Plum- Yew, Russian Olive, Creeping Wintergreen, Rose of Sharon, John T. Morris Holly, Lydia Morris Hollies, Leucothoe, European Privet, Japanese Andromeda, Common Buckthorn, Blueberry Elder, Dwarf Sweet Christmas Box, Russian Olive, Creeping Wintergreen, Rose of Sharon, John T. Morris Holly, Lydia Morris Hollies, Leucothoe, European Privet, Japanese Andromeda, Common Buckthorn, Blueberry Elder, Dwarf Sweet, and Christmas Box.
Check with your local garden center for a list of trees in your area that are the least appealing to deer.
