What to plant in your landscape to deter deer
Print
EmailPlan your landscaping to deter deer and mitigate damage.
Deer are undeniably plentiful in lower Michigan, and their presence can pose serious challenges to your home's landscaping. With spring planting on the horizon, as you design and plan new outdoor spaces, it's worth considering planting “deer-resistant” greenery to safeguard your investment.
Keep in mind, however, that a hungry deer is indiscriminate and will munch on almost anything. While no plant is completely safe from their appetite, deer tend to avoid foliage that is aromatic, fuzzy, hairy, or includes plants such as ferns, grasses, and sedges.
According to the “Deer Resistant Native Plants for Mid-Michigan” resource from the Wild Ones Red Cedar Chapter based in Lansing, Michigan, below are some varieties of plants that deer tend to avoid to consider adding to your landscape:
- Baneberry
- Nodding wild onion
- Columbine
- Jack-in-the-pulpit
- Wild ginger
- Milkweed species
- Wild indigo
- Harebell
- Black snakeroot
- Coreopsis species
- Purple coneflower
- Rattlesnake master
- Joe-pye weed
- Boneset
- Flowering spurge
- Wild geranium
- Prairie smoke
- False sunflower
- Alum Root
- Virginia waterleaf
- Iris—blue flag
- Blazing Star
- Blue lobelia
- Virginia bluebells
- Bee balm
- Horsemint
- Beardtongue (Penstemon sp.)
- May Apple
- Solomon’s Seal
- Black-eyed Susan
- Bloodroot
- Ragwort
- Blue-eyed grass
- Celandine (wood) poppy
- Spiderwort
- Vervain species
- Ironweed
- Culver’s-root
- Golden Alexanders
- New Jersey Tea
- Virgin’s Bower
- Witch Hazel
- Great St. John's Wort
- Juniper
- Spice Bush
Michigan State University Extension has the “Smart Gardening To Deter Deer” resource that can also help homeowners identify other techniques to mitigate deer damage to their landscapes.
