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I have lived in northeastern Ohio my whole life and seeing deer is commonplace, even in densely populated suburban and urban areas.
My husband Jimmy and I like to walk through many of the beautiful public parks in the Cleveland area and it isn’t uncommon to see deer grazing.
Quite often, we are able to walk within 5 feet of them and they are not skittish or frightened by our presence.
It is as if they expect to see us!
Last week we saw a mother nursing her baby from about 15 feet away.
The mother saw us but didn’t mind us watching.
I love seeing them in nature.
Their big brown eyes are adorable and they are beautiful… until they start devouring my landscape!
Realtree.com estimates that Ohio has 18.3 deer per square mile, the third highest in the country.
So Ohio gardeners especially know how deer can make their yard a nightly buffet.
There are many products designed to help keep deer away, however, they generally need to be reapplied regularly.
These are effective for use on a handful of plants but aren’t a realistic, long-term solution for an entire landscape.
One of the best strategies is to continue to add deer-resistant shrubs and plants to your landscape.
Although there isn’t any plant that is “deer-proof,” they certainly have favorite plants and will seek those out over those that they find distasteful.
Deer Resistant Shrubs & Trees
Below is a list of deer-resistant shrubs and trees.
If you live in an area with a high deer population, these plants won’t be their favorites and will make it easier to have a beautiful, enjoyable landscape.
Sometimes young curious deer will taste plants to see if they like them.
If you have a favorite plant that the deer nibble on, use a deer repellent consistently.
Also, see our list of deer-resistant annuals and perennials.
Deer Resistant Shrubs
Please click the plant name and image to see more pictures of each shrub
1. American Holly (Ilex opaca)
Deer are not found of this pyramidal evergreen because of its sharp leaf edges.
American holly can start out as a moderately sized shrub but it can grow quite large tree (15-30 feet) in some climates.
They prefer a location that is in full sun to part shade with well-draining acid soil to grow well.
The flowers are inconspicuous but the red berries are striking and add a lot of interest through the winter months.
American holly is used to make wreaths, garlands and other Christmas decorations.
Check with your local garden center to see which varieties grow best in your zone.
The Meserve hollies (Ilex x meserveae) have grown successfully for my family in high deer populations.
These aren’t traditionally listed as deer resistant but from my experience they aren’t highly favored.
2. Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)
Arrowwood Viburnum is a deciduous shrub (loses it’s leaves in winter) that is low maintenance and easy to grow for the home landscape.
It has showy, white flowers in late spring that develop into blue-black berries it winteproviding food for birds and lots of winter interest.
In addition, the flowers attract butterflies and pollinators.
The leaves turn shads of yellow, red, and, orange in the fall giving it year-round appeal.
Arrowwood Viburnum are also know for tolerating clay soils and growing in the vicinity of black walnut trees.
Plant them in full to part shade locations for best growth.
I would also add out of personal experience that many other Viburnums such as doublefile and Korean spice are deer resistant once established.
They have grown successfully in my own landscapes to maturity in the presence of large deer populations.
Barberry shrubs are known for their colorful foliage.
There are different varieties to select from, each with its unique shade of red, purple, yellow, or green.
Deer will not eat barberry shrubs unless they are extrememly hungry because there are thorns on the stems.
These are the insurance policy to keep the deer away!
Barberry produce show berries in the fall that attract birds.
They also have good fall colors to add interest to the landscape in the autumn.
Another benefit to growing barberry shrubs is that they are extremely tolerant of dry soil conditions, clay, and erosion.
They thrive in full sun to part shade locations.
4. Bayberry (Myrica pennsylvanica)
If you have ever burned a bayberry scented candle then you know what the leaves and berries of this shrub smell like.
It’s that scent and the waxy, tough texture of the Bayberry shrub that keep the deer away.
Bayberry are adaptable to most any environment.
They tolerate dry, wet, salt, and wind.
They produce blue-black berries that create winter interest and attract birds.
There will have to be at least one male plant in the area for berries to form.
They grow best in full sun but will tolerate some shade.
5. Bluebeard, Blue Spirea, Blue Mist Shrub (Caryopteris spp.)
Bluebeard shrubs have aromatic leaves and flowers which deer prefer not to eat.
The flowers are showy and a beautiful addition to the home landscape.
They attract butterflies and pollinators.
Bluebeards grow best in average soil that drains well but they will tolerate dry soils.
Avoid planting them in wet soils that don’t drain.
There are quite a few new varieties available that are improved and well-suited for the home landscape.
6. Butterfly Bush (Buddleia spp)
8. Cotoneaster
12. Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
15. Andromeda (Pieris japonica)
PJM Rhododendron, View on Amazon
18. Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia)
20. Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Virginia Sweetspire, View on Amazon
21. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
22. Cutleaf Stephanandra (Stephanandra incisa ‘Crispa’)
23. Daphne
24. Drooping Leucothoe
27. Oregon Grape Holly
Deer Resistant Trees
- Betty Magnolia
2. Bottlebrush Buckeye
4. Colorado Blue Spruce
4. Dogwood
6. European Hornbeam
7. Honeylocust
8. Hawthorn
9. Katsura
10. Leonard Messel Magnolia
11. Paper Birch
12. Patmore Ash
13. Pawpaw
14. Pine
15. River Birch
16. Russian Olive
17. Serbian Spruce
18. Sour Gum
19. Smoke Tree
20. Susan Magnolia
21. Sweet Gum
23. White Oak
24. Whitespire Birch
Looking for deer-resistant annuals and perennials? Click here for a list!
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