Tending flowers where deer roam is challenging. This summer on more than one occasion, my spring planted hydrangeas have been nibbled on by resident deer. Once the plant is well established and covered with huge blossoms, the deer usually seek other sources to dine on. From observation, tender, young green plant stems and foliage tempt them the most, even if its not on their list of flavor favorites. Protecting young plants is essential. But we’ll save that for another post.
Living in the country with vast fields and woodlands, we often see deer. This weekend, we planted Black-Eyed Susans in our new raised flowerbeds flanking our driveway. (I’ll write about them soon.) While digging holes in the soil, four deer stood where our field meets the forest, watching us. I chuckled because—this time—I did my research in advance. I love flowers and deer—and want to keep both on our landscape.
Don't miss the bonus chart of "7 Flowering Shrubs Deer Don't Eat" at the close of this article.
10 of my Favorite Deer Resistant Flowers
1. Bearded Iris – Adorned with frilly ruffled petals, the showy iris blooms look delicate, but it’s low maintenance and takes full sun like a champ. Its fragrance makes it naturally deer resistant.
2. Bee Balm - Loved for its vibrant color, the minty scent deters deer yet attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your full sun to part shade flower garden.
3. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) – Cheerful yellow or golden blooms, with touches of burgundy on the petals of some varieties, and dark centers stand up to the heat in full sun and are drought-tolerant once well established in the soil.
4. Cosmos – Delicate pops of pink, white, red, purple, orange, and yellow blooms add color to your full sun, low maintenance flower garden.
5. Daffodils- It’s the first bright and beautiful flower to burst forth on our late winter landscape each year. This hardy, classic perennial is best known for its yellow flowers, but white, peach, pink, red-orange and bi-color varieties are available.
6. Daisies (Shasta and African) - These pretties pop up in our field each summer and are easy to transplant. They grow best in direct sunlight in well-draining soil.
7. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) – These sturdy, long stemmed, long-blooming beauties thrive well in full sun, and require little to no maintenance. Classic coneflowers are typically purple and lavender hues, but new cultivars are available in yellow and cream.
8. Queen Anne’s Lace - Lacy, white clusters of delicate flowers border our country roadways and dot the meadows with elegance. It’s another full sun, low maintenance favorite the deer don’t bother.
9. Verbena - Perky bursts of vibrant flowers attract butterflies instead of deer in your full sun flowerbeds.
10. Yarrow – Tight clusters of beautiful blooms thrive in full sun and poor soil. What’s not to love about this low maintenance favorite that deer avoid.
7 Flowering Shrubs Deer Don’t Eat –
Butterfly bush, Crape Myrtle, Forsythia, Gardenia, Rose of Sharon, Spiraea (Bridal Wreath), and Weigela.
Until next time.
By Deborah S. Tukua, author and freelance writer - join us at www.DeborahSTukua.com
Related Articles of Interest – What’s Not to Love About Growing Daffodils -https://deborahstukua.com/blog/what-s-not-to-love-about-growing-daffodils-it-s-no-surprise-cheerful