A LIST OF DEER RESISTANT PLANTS FOR THE GARDEN Compiled by Master Gardener Frank M. Danforth This list has been compiled from several sources with the understanding that deer, if starved or in great stress, will "EAT EVERYTHING". Young deer will taste many plants to discover if they "LIKE THE TASTE"; so if you have a new plant and many young deer, you may lose that plant. Once deer discover they do not like a plant's taste, they will usually leave them alone. The following lists are of plants which should do well in LAKE COUNTY, OR IN ZONE 7 (as Lake County is designated in the New Western Garden Book. TREES Abies - fir Lithacarpus densiflors - tanbark oak Acacia baileyana - mimosa Liquidamber – sweet gum Acer - maple Magnolia – various Albizia julibrissum - silk tree Palmae – palm Arbutus unedo - strawberry tree Picea – spruce Betula pendula - european white birch Pinus – pine Cotinus coggygria - smoke tree Robina pseudocacia - black locust Fraximus - ash Umbellularia – California bay Eucalyptus - Rhus – sumac SHRUBS Baccaris pilularis - coyote brush Leptaspermum – tea shrub (some) Bamboo – various Kerria japonica – kerria Berberis – barberry Mahonia – Oregon grape Buxus - boxwood Myrtus communis – true myrtle Ceanothus – various Nandina – heavenly bamboo Calycanthus occidentalis – spice bush Nerium oleander – oleander Choisya ternate – mexican orange Pieris japonica – lily of the valley shrubs Cotoneaster – some Potentilla – cinquefoil Daphne – some Prunus caroliniana – laurel cherry Dodonaea viscosa – hop bush Puncia – pomegranate Elaeagnus pungens – silverberry Rhus – sumac Erica – heath Ribes – currant Euonymus japonica – various Romneya coulteri – matilija poppy Fatsia japonica – japenese aralia Salvia – various Grevillea – some Santolina – gun cotton Gaultheria shallon – salal Senecio greyi Halemium – sneezeweed Taxus – yew Hibiscus syriacus – rose of Sharon Teucrium fruticans – bush germander Heteromelles – toyon Spiraea – various Ilex – holly ( except thornless) Yucca – various ANNUALS Ageratum – floss flower Lobelia sp. – various Antirrhinum majus - snapdragon Lobularia maritima – sweet alyssum Begonia x semperflorens – wax begonia Mesembryathemum – ice plant (some) * Catharanthus roseus – periwinkle Pelargonium – zonal geranium Cleome hassiernia – cleome Petrosclinium – parsley Chrysanthemum frutescens – marguerite Ricinus communis – castor bean Dahlia sp. – dahlia Silybum sp. - thistle Datura sp. – thorn apple Tagetes sp. – marigold Helichysum – strawflowers Zinnia sp. – zinnia Heliotropinum arborecens – heliotrope Herbs – various * Not Carpobroths edulis which is invasive Impatiens walleriana – bizzie lizzie Ipomoea sp. – morning glory PERENNIALS & BULBS Acanthus mollis – bear’s breech Cyclamen Aconitum – monkshood Cymbalaria muralis – Kenilworth ivy Achillia sp. – yarrow Dicentra formosa – bleeding heart Amaryllis belladonna – naked lady lilly Digitalis sp. – foxglove Angelica archangelica – angelica Erigonium umbellatum – sulfur flower Anemone – various Eschscholzia California – California poppy Allium – various Euphoria – various Alyssum saxatile – basket of gold Euryops pectinatus Aquilegia sp. – colombine Ferns – various Artemisia – wormwood Festuca ovina glauca – blue fescue Arum Fillipendula Aruncus dioicus – goatsbeard Fragaria chiloensis – wild strawberry Artichoke Galium odaratum – sweet woodruff Asarum cauclatum – wild ginger Gaillardia sp. – blanket flower Asclepias tuberose – butterfly weed Gunnera Asparagus falcatus – sickle-thorn asparagus Herbs Arisaema triphyllum – jack in the pulpit Hibiscus moshentos – rose mallow Aster alpinus – alpine aster Hemerocallis – daylily Begonia tuberbybrida – tuberose begonia Hosta – plantain lily Baptisia sp. – false indigo Hypericum – St. Johnswort (can be invasive) Berginia sp. – berginia Iris – various Brodiaea sp. – brodia Isotoma – blue star creeper Buddlea sp. – butterfly bush Jasminum – jasmine Carix – sedge Juniperur – junipers (various) Cerastium - snow in the summer Kniphofia unvaria – red-hot poker Centuria sp. – knapweed Lamium sp. – dead nettle Chrysanthemum maximum – Shasta daisy Lavendula – lavender Clivia minata – kaffir lily Lawn grass – if kept mowed Coreopsis sp. - coreopsis Leonotis leonurus – lion’s tail Crinum Leucojum – snowflake Crocosmia – montbretia Liriope sp. – lily turf 2 PERENNIAL’S, BULB’S …… cont. Lychnis sp. – mullein pink Santolina – gun cotton Mentha sp. – mints Scabiosa sp. – pincushion flower Mirabilis jalapa – four o’clocks Senecia sp. – dusty miller Monardella macrantha Scilla sp. – squill Monarda sp. – bee balm Silene sp. – campion Myosotis – forget-me-not Sisurinchium sp. Narcissus sp. Solidago sp. – goldenrod Nepeta sp. – cat mint, nip Soleirolia solerollii – baby’s tears Osteosperum – african daisy Sparaxis tricolor – harlequin flower Paeonia sp. – peony Stachys byzantina – lamb’s ear Papaver sp. – poppy’s Tolmiea menziesii – piggyback plant Phlomis fruticosa – jerusalem sage Trillium sp. – wake robin Phormium – new zealand flax Valleta sp. – Podocarpus – (SOME) yew pine Verbenia sp. – verbena Potentilla Veronica sp. – speedwell Raoullia australis Zantedschia – calla Ranunculus sp. Epilobium canum – California fuchsia Rosemary sp. PERENNIAL’S, BULB’S, ADDITIONS Amsonia tabernaemontana – amsonia Myrrhis odorata – sweet cicely Boltonia asteroides – boltonia Oenothera tetragona – sundrops Campanula carpatica – tussock bellflower Oenothera sp. – evening primrose Chrysanthemum coccineum – painted daisy Origanum sp. – oregano Chrysanthemum parthenium – feverfew Phalaris arundinacea – ribbon grass Dianthus sp. – sweet William, pinks Platycodon grandiflorus – ballon flower Cimicifuga racemosa – bugbane Polemonium caeruleum – jacob’s ladder Dictamaus albus – gas plant Primula sp. – primrose Echinacae purpurea – purple coneflower Pulmonaria sp. – lungwort Eupatonum sp. - joe-pye weed Rheum sp. – rhubarb Fritallaria imperialis – crown imperial Saponaria sp. – soapwort Geum sp. – avens Tanacetum sp. – tansy Gypsophila paniculata – baby’s breath Verbascum sp. – mullein (can be invasive) Helleborus sp. – hellebore Viola labridorica – labraidoria violet Iberis sempervirens – candy tuft Liatrus spicata – spike gayfeather Lilium lancifolium – tiger lily Aegopodium podagrana – bishop’s weed Limonium latifolium – statice Ajuga reptans – bugleweed Linaria sp. – toadflax Convalana majallis – lily of the valley Linum perene – perennial blue flax Oelastrus sp. – bittersweet Lupinus – lupine Lonicera sp. – honeysuckle (can be invasive) Mitchella repens – partridgeberry REFERENCES: Pacific Horticulture - Co-existing with deer, by Mary Cox, 1986 Growing points – deer list, November 1990 Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County, Master Gardeners Sunset New Western Garden Book, August, 1990 3 Revised by Gabriele O’Neill, June 2012 .