Many neighborhoods in the Louisville area are at risk for deer damage. We want to help you prevent this damage with a few strategies on making your garden a little less attractive to deer, including deer resistant plants, barriers, and repellents.

What damage can they cause? It is important to note that deer can cause two different types of damage, browsing and rubbing. Browsing means the deer are enjoying your plants as a delicious snack as they make their way through your yard. This can occur during any season. Rubbing typically occurs in the fall as bucks will begin to mark their territory by rubbing against young trees. This rubbing can cause severe damage and sometimes total loss to these trees. Strategies to prevent damage are dependent on the type of damage you are looking to prevent.

If you have deer browsing problems in your yard the easiest solution is to steer clear of plants they are known to love, including daylilies, hardy hibiscus, hostas, hydrangeas, lilies, roses, sedums, and taxus just to name a few.

Deer Resistant Plants

The following is a list of plants that have shown to be resistant to deer browsing. This does not mean that damage will not occur; rather, they are least preferred as a source of food. When preferred food sources are scarce or not available almost any plant can be damaged.

Note: Deer resistant plants are only resistant to deer browsing, not rubbing.

Perennials/Hardy Bulbs

Allium, Amsonia, Asclepias, Aster, Astilbe, Baptisia, Boltonia, Brunnera, Catmint, Columbine, Coneflower, Coreopsis, Epimedium, Eupatorium, Euphorbia, Ferns (most), Gaura, Geranium, Goldenrod, Hellebore, Heuchera, Iris, Lamb’s Ear, Lamium, Lavender, Liatris, Lobelia, Monarda, Daffodill, Peony, Plumbago, Pulmonaria, Rudbeckia, Russian Sage, Salvia, Sneezeweed, Tiarella, Turtlehead, Veronica, Yarrow, Yucca

Trees & Shrubs

Abelia, Beautyberry, Boxwood, Buckeye, Butterfly Bush, Caryopteris, Cephalotaxus, Clethra, Crapemyrtle, Dogwoods, Forsythia, Holly, Hypericum, Itea, Juniper, Katsura, Magnolia, Mahonia, Nandina, River Birch, Sassafras, Serviceberry, Smoketree, Spiraea, Spruce, Sumac, Sweetshrub, Viburnum, Vitex

Annuals

Celosia, Cleome, Lantana, Lobularia, Penta, Salvia, Snapdragons, Vinca

Ornamental Grasses

Acorus, Carex, Feather Reed Grass, Miscanthus, Pennisetum, Switchgrass