Deer are beautiful, majestic creatures, but they can destroy gardens. It can be stressful to witness these creatures nibbling on your carefully tended flower beds and the herbs you've worked so hard to keep healthy in your garden.
One effective solution is to plant deer-resistant plants. These are plants that deer do not want to eat and would likely only feed on if they had no other choice.
At The Growers Exchange, we offer a wide selection of herbs that add beauty to your garden while keeping your local herd of deer away. Read on to learn more about deer-resistant herbs.
Why Don't Deer Eat Certain Plants?
Deer-resistant plants work by having characteristics that make them unattractive or unpalatable to deer. These characteristics can include:
Strong Odors: Deer have a powerful sense of smell and are often repelled by strong scents.
Fuzzy or Spiky Foliage: Deer have sensitive tongues and generally dislike plants with fuzzy, spiky or hairy leaves.
Deer also don't like most root vegetables, as getting to the tubers requires digging. However, they may nibble on the tops of certain types, like sweet potatoes, beets and radishes.
Deer-Resistant Herbs You Can Plant in Your Garden
Choose from various deer-resistant herbs, including the following:
The Butterfly Bush is a charming and low-maintenance addition to any garden. Its slender branches bear clusters of cone-shaped flowers in vibrant hues, attracting pollinators like butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. It's also very easy to grow and care for.
Fortunately, the Butterfly Bush has deer-resistant properties. Its fragrant foliage means deer typically find it unappealing.
At The Growers Exchange, we offer two kinds of Butterfly Bush:
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Golden Glow is a hybrid cultivar that produces cones of warm-gold blooms.
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BiColor has multicolored flowers.
Baby Blue Eucalyptus is an aromatic and ornamental plant known for its distinctive round leaves with a silvery-blue hue. This evergreen tree, native to Australia, can thrive in various soil types and climates. If left untrimmed, it can grow up to 30 feet high.
For planting and care, ensure it has well-drained soil, ample sunlight and adequate watering during dry spells. Prune to maintain its shape. Deer don't enjoy nibbling on this plant because of its pungent smell and the texture of its leaves, which are coated with a waxy powder.
Deer resistance in Baby Blue Eucalyptus arises from its strong scent and the texture of its leaves, which deer find unpalatable. This quality safeguards your garden and adds a delightful fragrance to your outdoor space.
Upright Germander is a low-growing, evergreen shrub from the Mediterranean region. Its defining features include small, glossy, dark green leaves. When in bloom, it produces tiny, tubular pink or lavender flowers that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. This plant typically reaches about 12 to 18 inches tall and spreads attractively.
When it comes to planting and maintenance, Upright Germander prefers well-drained soil. It thrives in full or partial sun, making it an excellent choice for gardeners looking for deer-resistant shade plants. Upright Germander works well as a small bush or as ground cover. This low-maintenance shrub rarely requires pruning, but you can trim it lightly after flowering to shape it more like a bush instead of growing straight up.
This plant's defense mechanism against deer is its aromatic foliage. The leaves of this plant emit a strong fragrance reminiscent of garlic, which deer find unappealing.
The Cardinal Flower plant is a perennial plant native to the Americas. It's easily recognizable, thanks to its vibrant red tubular flowers. This plant attracts hummingbirds, making it a favorite among those who love watching the little birds as they relax in their gardens.
Plant the Cardinal Flower in moist, well-draining soil and partial to full sunlight for best results. It's well-suited for gardens with consistently humid conditions, such as near ponds or streams. Regular watering is essential to keep the soil moist, especially during hot, dry spells.
Cardinal Flowers are deer-resistant because they contain toxins known as alkaloids. These compounds deter deer and other herbivores from grazing on the plant.
Tips for Deer-Proofing Your Garden
Planting deer-resistant plants in your garden is a wise choice for keeping your greenery safe from hungry deer. These plants are easy to maintain and add natural beauty to your landscape.
Here are some essential tips for keeping deer away from your garden:
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Plant Strategically: Place deer-resistant plants near more vulnerable plant species. They act as a protective barrier and help deter deer naturally.
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Apply a Natural Deer Repellent: Deer are attracted to young plants and shoots. To prevent this, consider treating the area with a natural deer repellent. For instance, deer, moles, and rabbits dislike the smell of blood meal. It's also a fertilizer, so be careful not to overdo it. A light dusting of blood meal–or half of the recommended amount for fertilizing–over vulnerable young leaves and shoots will do.
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Install Fencing: In areas that see a lot of deer, consider installing deer fencing to provide extra protection for your garden.
Shop Online for Deer-Resistant Herbs
The Growers Exchange is a trusted source of quality herbs. We have provided gardeners with healthy plants for more than 15 years. Apart from deer-resistant herbs, we offer an extensive selection of medicinal, aromatic, culinary and rare herbs that flourish in full or partial sun.
Browse our collection, and order today!
Please Note: We sell plants, NOT seeds. Our plants are big, healthy, well rooted and ready to plant - our standard pot is 3.5 inches. We do not ship our plants until they are ROOT READY. They will have good top growth unless they are coming in or out of dormancy. We grow all of our plants to the point that they are ready to go into the ground or container.
