This article contains affiliate links for advertisers of this site. See our disclosure page for more information.

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!

Blooming Purple Lilac. — Lilacs are deer-resistant

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.