ShrubsDiscover the right shrubs for your garden.
Homeowners who live in suburban and rural expanse know the damage that cervid can cause to the landscape . A hungry cervid herd can quickly annihilate a hosta border or strip favorite bush unfinished of their leaves . Deer will pick on almost any plant if they are thirsty enough , especially after a long winter when food sources are scarce . Short of erecting an galvanic deer fence , which can be cost prohibitive , the easiest solution to dissuade deer from eat your beloved garden plants is to expend cervid - resistant plant in your yard .
Some garden plants such as hostas , hydrangea , and day lily are more likely to be range on by deer . They prefer plants with easygoing , simoleons - comparable leaves that are easygoing to masticate and will eschew plants with a rough texture , precipitous needles , or thorns . Deer have a sensitive olfactory modality and taste and obviate plant with fragrant flowers , pungent foliation , or bitter - tasting leaves . By choosing plant with these attributes , you’re able to boil down deer legal injury to your yard . Though few plants are completely deer proof , there are many industrial plant cervid will avoid . Here are some of the undecomposed deer - insubordinate shrub to plant in your garden .
DEER-RESISTANT SHRUBS
Funshine ® abelia . photograph : Proven Winners
ABELIA (Abeliaspp.)
Zones:4 - 11 , depending on the varietyExposure : Full Sunday to part shadeHabit : mound shaggy habitHeight / Spread:2 to 10 human foot marvellous , 2 to 8 feet wideBloom time : Spring to devolve
Abeliais a deciduous shrub with colored or variegate foliation and fragrant long - blooming flowers . Plants are virtually upkeep - free and tolerant of shade , drouth , and piteous soil . Deer avoid abelia due to the scent of the bloom and bitter - tasting foliage , but may graze on plants if other intellectual nourishment generator are scarce . Learn abelia .
show : Funshine ® abeliafrom Proven Winners .
Sunjoy Todo ® barberry . Photo : Proven victor
BARBERRY (Berberis thunbergiiand spp.)
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Full sun to fond shadeHabit : Upright mounding , shaggy-haired , or columniform habitHeight / Spread:2 to 10 foot tall , 2 to 8 base wideBloom meter : natural spring
This popular deciduous or evergreen shrub produces colorful leaves , berries , and fall foliage for multi - seasonal appeal . Plants are utile as hedge and in aggregate plantings . The thick growth and sharp thorns are a deterrent to deer . Barberry is invasive in some regions , but newer unfertile variety are available .
Pictured : Sunjoy Todo ® sterile barberryfrom Proven Winners .
Photo : Alex Manders / Shutterstock
BEAUTYBUSH (Kolwitzia amabilis)
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Full Dominicus to fond shadeHabit : Bushy curve habitHeight / Spread:6 to 10 feet tall and wideBloom meter : Spring
Kolwitziais a deciduous shrub grown for its elegant arching habit , aristocratic - green leafage , and fertile clusters of gentle pink flowers in leaping . plant are well-to-do to worry for and tolerant of dissimilar soils . Use as a background industrial plant , in founding plantings , or as hedging . Deer run to leave beautybush alone .
Beyond Midnight ® bluebeard . exposure : Proven Winners .
BLUEBEARD (Caryopterisspp.)
Zones:5 - 9Exposure : Full sunHabit : Mounding bushy habitHeight / Spread:2 to 4 feet tall and wideBloom prison term : summertime to fall
Bluebeard lend former - time of year interest to the landscape painting , with green or gold foliage and feathery flower spikes that occur in summertime and declination . Plants are blue sustentation and drouth resistant . This petite deciduous shrub is desirable for small spaces , shrub border , and mass plantings . Deer are repelled by the heavy odour . memorise bluebeard .
Pictured : Beyond Midnight ® bluebeardfrom Proven Winners .
Sprinter ® Boxwood . exposure by : Proven success
BOXWOOD (Buxusspp.)
Zones:5 - 9 , with a few varieties hardy to Zone 4Exposure : Full Dominicus to shadeHabit : obtuse , vertical mound or conic habitHeight / Spread:1 to 20 feet tall , 2 to 8 feet wideBloom sentence : Spring ; peak are insignificant
This various shrub is commonly used as hedging or seclusion screening , loaning structure to bed and borders . Boxwood leaf is extremely tractable to shearing into conventional hedge and topiaries . One of the best deer - resistant evergreen plant bush , boxwood contains a toxic alkaloid chemical compound and ooze out a barbed scent to dissuade deer . Learn boxwood .
show : Sprinter ® boxwoodfrom Proven Winners .
Lo & Behold ® ' Blue Chip Jr. ' butterfly stroke George W. Bush . picture by : Proven Winners
BUTTERFLY BUSH (Buddleiaspp.)
Zones:5 - 9Exposure : Full sunHabit : Upright bushy habitHeight / Spread:3 to 12 feet tall and wideBloom prison term : summertime to early dusk
Butterfly bush is a deciduous bush appoint for the colourful flower spikes that are extremely attractive to butterfly and other insect pollinators . Plants are carefree and drouth liberal . Non - seeding variety can be grown in areas where butterfly bush is trespassing . Deer will avoid butterfly bush due to the fragrant flowers and caustic taste of the leave of absence . Learn butterfly stroke George W. Bush responsibly .
Pictured : Lo & Behold ® ' Blue Chip Jr. ' butterfly bushfrom Proven Winners .
Daphne odora ' Aureomarginata ' . Photo by Avalon / Alamy Stock Photo
DAPHNE (Daphnespp.)
Zones:4 - 9 , depending on the varietyExposure : fond shadeHabit : shaggy-coated disseminate habitHeight / Spread:1 to 5 groundwork tall , 2 to 6 feet wide , look on the varietyBloom time : Late wintertime to fall , depend on the multifariousness
Daphneis a broadleaf evergreen shrub with green or variegated foliage and tubular flowers that are intensely fragrant . This small- to medium - sized shrub is useful in borders , founding planting , and woodland preferences . Deer are repelled by the scent and detect the poisonous Charles Edward Berry to be distasteful .
Yuki Cherry Blossom ® deutzia . pic by : Proven Winners
DEUTZIA (Deutziaspp.)
Zones:5 - 8Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeHabit : shaggy , vertical , or ground cover habitHeight / Spread:1 to 10 feet marvelous , 2 to 8 understructure all-inclusive , depend on the varietyBloom metre : Mid - spring to former summertime
One of the best deer - resistive unfolding shrubs to develop , deutzia produces textured foliage and fragrant bell shape - shape blossom that bloom in outpouring . This audacious deciduous shrub is useful in foundation planting and mixed borders , and is virtually maintenance free . Plants are seldom irritate by cervid due to the fragrant flowers and unpalatable foliage . Learn deutzia .
image : Yuki Cherry Blossom ® deutziafrom Proven Winners .
Black Lace ® elderberry . exposure by : Proven Winners
ELDERBERRY (Sambucusspp.)
Zones:3 - 9Exposure : Full sun to fond shadeHabit : Upright shaggy-haired habitHeight / Spread:3 to 30 understructure grandiloquent and wideBloom time : natural spring to summertime
Sambucusis a hardy deciduous shrub with attractive leafage , lacy prime , decorative berry , and smart as a whip gloam colouration . Use as hedging or in a woodland border . Deer choose other plants to elderberry , which are generally considered deer resistant . However , elderberry may be more susceptible to cervid browsing in certain neighborhood , with some species more resistant than others . Learn elderberry .
Pictured : Black Lace ® elderberryfrom Proven Winners .
Soft Serve ® assumed cypress . exposure by : Proven Winners
FALSE CYPRESS (Chamaecyparisspp.)
Zones:3 - 9 , depending on the speciesExposure : Full sun to partial shadeHabit : Upright , mounding , pyramidal , or columniform habitHeight / Spread:5 to 130 foot marvellous , 6 to 25 feet wide-eyed , bet on the diversity
This hardy evergreen plant conifer produces okay needles that lend texture to borders and woodland context . Garden cultivars are bred for their smaller height . Deer may graze on put on cypress tree in wintertime when other food for thought source are scarce , though they be given to leave plants alone during the growing season . con false cypress .
Pictured : Soft Serve ® false cypressfrom Proven Winners .
Show Off ® forsythia . Photo by : Proven winner
FORSYTHIA (Forsythiaspp.)
Zones:3 - 9Exposure : Full sunshine to partial shadeHabit : Upright , bushy , or arc habitHeight / Spread:1 to 10 foot tall , 3 to 10 foundation wideBloom time : Early to mid spring
Forsythiais a unfearing deciduous bush grown for the cheerful sensationalistic flowers that look in former spring . These plants thrive in a wide ambit of growing status . employ these fast - growing , flowering shrubs as hedging or in foundation plantings . cervid avoid forsythia due to the sulphurous taste of the leaves . find out forsythia .
see : Show Off ® forsythiafrom Proven Winners .
Sky Box ® Japanese holly . exposure by : Proven Winners
HOLLY (Ilexspp.)
Ilexis a diverse group of plant with deciduous or evergreen foliage and coloured berry that provide wintertime interest . This various landscape plant can be used as hedge , in foundation planting or border . Some type of holly are more deer resistant than others . Those with thick , spiny leaves incline to be left alone . Winterberry and inkberry are less unnatural , while blue holly and Japanese holly are more susceptible to deer browsing . Learn holly shrubs .
Pictured : Sky Box ® Japanese hollyfrom Proven Winners .
Interstella ® lily of the valley shrub . pic by : Proven Winners
JAPANESE PIERIS (Pieris japonica)
Zones:5 - 8Exposure : fond sunlight to partial shadeHabit : Upright bushy habitHeight / Spread:3 to 12 feet tall , 3 to 8 foot broad , depending on the varietyBloom time : Late winter to other spring
This broadleaf evergreen plant shrub add year - round prayer to the landscape painting with gullible or vary foliage , clusters of bell shape - mould flowers and attractive new growth . Use in woodland edge , base plantings , and as hedging . cervid are repelled by the scented heyday and acid taste perception of the leaves . instruct pieris bush .
Pictured : Interstella ® lily of the valley shrubfrom Proven Winners .
Montana Moss ® juniper . Photo by : Proven Winners
JUNIPER (Juniperusspp.)
Zones:2 - 10 , depending on the varietyExposure : Full sunHabit : vertical , spreading or weep habitHeight / Spread:2 to 10 feet grandiloquent , 2 to 8 fundament wide
Juniperusis a hardy evergreen conifer available in a broad range of sizes , shapes , and colour . This various plant adds grain , social organization , and desktop color to borders , rock gardens , slopes , and foundation plantings . Deer are repelled by the nipping odor , bitter taste , and sharpness of the needle . Learn raetam shrubs .
visualise : Montana Moss ® juniperfrom Proven Winners .
Scentara ® Double Blue lilac . Photo by : Proven Winners
LILAC (Syringaspp.)
Zones:2 - 8Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeHabit : Upright shaggy habitHeight / Spread:4 to 15 feet marvellous , 3 to 12 foot wideBloom time : Spring ; some newer multifariousness rebloom
This beloved hardy deciduous shrub produces clusters of flowers that add color and fragrance to the spring garden . Grow lilac bushes in foundation planting , as hedging or screening . Deer avert lilac due to the smell and blistering taste of the leaves . Learn lilac George Herbert Walker Bush .
picture : Scentara ® Double Blue lilacfrom Proven Winners .
Oregon grapevine ( Mahonia ) in bloom . picture by Irina Borsuchenko / Shutterstock
MAHONIA (Mahoniaspp.)
Zones:5 - 9Exposure : Full sun to fond shadeHabit : upright piano shaggy-coated or creeping habitHeight / Spread:1 to 10 feet magniloquent , 2 to 8 base wideBloom time : Winter , spring , fall , depending on the variety
Mahoniais a hardy evergreen plant shrub with holly - like leaves , cluster of toll - shape flowers and cosmetic berry for multi - seasonal appeal . Use this easy - care shrub in foundation plantings or native landscapes . Deer find the thick , prickly grain of the leaves to be unpalatable .
' Elf ' mount bay wreath . Photo : Svetlanko / Shutterstock
MOUNTAIN LAUREL (Kalmia latifolia)
Zones:4 - 9Exposure : fond sun or dappled shadeHabit : Upright bushy habitHeight / Spread:3 to 15 feet tall and wide , depending on the varietyBloom metre : bounce
Kalmiais a broadleaf evergreen plant , and is one of the few aboriginal bush that is deer resistive . plant have an attractive wont and leaf , with showy bell - shaped bloom . Use in a aboriginal landscape painting , foundation planting , or mixed border . Though deer sometimes crop on the flowers , they are repelled by the toxic leave-taking , which stimulate a burning aesthesis when eaten .
' Carsten ’s Wintergold ' mugo true pine . exposure by : Daryna Shpak / Shutterstock
MUGO PINE (Pinus mugo)
Zones:2 - 7Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeHabit : vertical spreading habitHeight / Spread:2 to 5 feet tall , 3 to 6 animal foot wide
Mugo pine is an elegant evergreen plant conifer with a dwarf height suited for small-scale spaces . The mounding habit and soft needles add year - round color , grain , and social organisation to rockery , slopes , and Asian - expressive style garden . Deer find the crisp spiky needle and resinous oils to be disgustful .
Happy Face ® Yellow genus Potentilla . Photo by Proven Winners
POTENTILLA (Pontentillaspp.)
Zones:2 - 8Exposure : Full sun to fond shadeHabit : Bushy or footing cover habitHeight / Spread:3 inches to 4 ft tall , 6 column inch to 5 feet wideBloom clock time : Spring to fall , depending on the variety
This popular landscape painting bush is valued for its carefree nature , long flower fourth dimension , and exceptional huskiness . Plants produce exquisitely textured foliage and long - bloom , strawberry - same flowers . Use as a ground covert , in mass planting or border . cervid debar potentilla due to the sulphurous preference and hairy grain of the leaves . Learn genus Potentilla shrubs .
Pictured : glad brass ® Yellow potentillafrom Proven Winners .
Arctic Fire ® Red dogwood . Photo by : Proven Winners
RED TWIG DOGWOOD (Cornus sericea)
Zones:2 - 8 , depending on the speciesExposure : Full sun to partial shadeHabit : upright piano spread habitHeight / Spread:2 to 15 foundation tall and wideBloom meter : Late spring
genus Cornus sericeahas year - unit of ammunition solicitation , with deciduous leafage , springiness - flower flowers , berries , and bright colored stems that light up the winter landscape . tote up to a winter garden or aboriginal landscape . Though some dogwood tree may be susceptible to deer damage , crimson branchlet dogwood is one of the types least affected . Learn red sprig cornel .
Pictured : Arctic Fire ® Red dogwoodfrom Proven Winners .
Paraplu Violet ® Rose of Sharon . Photo by : Proven winner
ROSE OF SHARON (Hibiscus syriacus)
Zones:5 - 9Exposure : Full Lord’s Day to fond shadeHabit : Upright bushy habitHeight / Spread:8 to 12 feet tall , 6 to 10 feet wideBloom metre : Mid - summertime to fall
Rose of Sharon contribute an alien tropical appeal to the landscape painting , with showy trumpet - shaped blossom . This hardy deciduous bush can be used as hedge , in foundation plantings and border . Plants produce a sticky sap , with bitter - try leaves that deer avoid . Rose of Sharon may experience some deer browse if other food is scarce , but will recover quickly from any legal injury . find out go up of Sharon .
Pictured : Paraplu Violet ® Rose of Sharonfrom Proven Winners .
Double Play Doozie ® Spirea . photograph by : Proven Winners
SPIREA (Spiraeaspp.)
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Full sun to fond shadeHabit : Mounding bushy habitHeight / Spread:2 to 8 feet grandiloquent , 2 to 6 feet wideBloom time : outpouring to summer
One of the most popular landscape painting plants for its versatility , Spiraeais a hardy deciduous shrub with green or chartreuse leafage and lacy clusters of flowers in spring and summertime . Use as hedge , in mass plantings or mixed margin . Deer ward off spirea for its scent and bleary grain . Learn spirea .
picture : Double Play Doozie ® spireafrom Proven Winners .
Sweet & Lo ™ sweet boxful . Photo by : Proven Winners
SWEET BOX (Sarcococca hookerianavar.humilis)
Zones:6 - 9Exposure : Partial Dominicus to full shadeHabit : Upright bushy habitHeight / Spread:1 to 6 feet tall , 2 to 6 animal foot wideBloom time : Mid - winter to other spring
Sarococcais a broadleaf evergreen plant bush produce for the attractive dark - unripe foliage and intensely fragrant bloom that add interestingness to the former - time of year landscape painting . Use as hedging , in a shadiness molding or wintertime garden . Deer are deterred by the aroma and leathery foliage .
envision : Sweet & Lo ™ sweet boxfrom Proven Winners .
Spice Girl ® Korean spice genus Viburnum . Photo by : Proven Winners
VIBURNUM (Viburnumspp.)
Zones:2 - 11 , depending on the varietyExposure : Full Dominicus to partial shadeHabit : upright piano shaggy habitHeight / Spread:3 to 20 animal foot tall , 3 to 12 feet wideBloom time : Mid to late leap , with some rebloom
Viburnumis a deciduous or evergreen plant shrub with attractive foliation , bloom , berries , and diminish color that adds multi - seasonal interest to the landscape painting . Use as hedging , screening , in institution planting or molding . The fragrance and grain are unappealing to deer . get a line viburnum .
Pictured : Spice Girl ® Korean spicery viburnumfrom Proven Winners .
spill Wine ® weigela . picture by : Proven Winners
WEIGELA (Weigelaspp.)
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeHabit : vertical shaggy-haired habitHeight / Spread:1 to 10 foot grandiloquent , 2 to 12 feet wideBloom clip : Mid to late fountain , with some rebloom
Weigelais an honest-to-god - fashioned favorite , with colorful leaf and clusters of fragrant , tubelike flowers that flower in spring . This deciduous shrub is well-nigh carefree once established , preferring rich , well - drain soil and regular wet . cervid are repelled by the fragrancy and bitter taste of the leaves . Learn weigela .
Pictured : spill Wine ® weigelafrom Proven Winners .
