Hays County Extension Service 1253 Civic Center Loop San Marcos, Texas 78666 (512) 393-2120 (512) 393-2136 Fax DEER RESISTANT LANDSCAPE PLANTS Presented below is a list of plants which white-tailed deer will avoid under normal circumstances. One asterisk (*) behind a species name indicates a plant that deer do not find particularly palatable. Two asterisks (**) indicates a plant that deer will avoid most of the time. Three asterisks (***) indicates a plant that deer will avoid almost all the time. Unfortunately, deer don’t read lists like this! Therefore, in a dry year, deer will eat most any plant. A check (T) indicates a Hill Country native. Fortunately, tree varieties that will grow very large can be caged until they grow taller than the deer. FERNS Almost all except (Pellaea spp.)**T Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris)**T Sword Fern (Nephrolepsis spp.) * Wood Fern (Dryopteris spp.) * ANNUAL/PERENNIAL FLOWERS Ageratum (Ageratum spp.) * Aloe (Aloe spp.)* Alyssum* Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) others are (Alyssum ssp.) Annual Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) *T Begonia (Begonia spp.)* Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)*T Blackfoot Daisy (Melanpodium leucanthum)*T Bluebonnet (Lupinus spp.)*T Calendula* Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)*T Cedar Sage (Salvia roemeriana)*T Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum spp.) * flowers eaten Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)*T Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.) * some are native Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)* Daffodil/Narcissus* Drummond’s Skullcap (Scutellaria drummondii)*T Dusty Miller (Senecia cineraria)* Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus wrightii)*T Fleabane (Erigeron spp.)* some are native Four o’clocks (Mirabilis spp.)* some are native ANNUAL/PERENNIAL FLOWERS Continued Foxglove (Digitalis spp.)* Gayfeather (Liatris spp.)*T Germanders (Teucrium spp.)* some are native Gloriosa Daisy * Hairy Zexmenia (Wedelia hispida)*T Hyacinth (Hyacinthus spp.)* Indian Blanket (Galillardia pulchella)**T Indigo Spires ( Salvia spp.)* Iris (Iris spp.) * Larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum) *T Lemon Mint (Monarda citriodora)**T Maximillian Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)*T Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia leucantha)*T Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia farinacea)**T Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes spp.)* Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)***T Mountain Pink (Centaurium beyrichii)*T Nightshades (Solanum spp.)** some are native Oxalis (Oxalis spp.)* some are native Penstemons (Penstemon spp.)*T Pink Evening-primrose (Oenothera speciosa)**T Pink Wood sorrel (Oxalis drummoondii)**T Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)*T Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)*T Queen’s Delight (Stillingia texana)**T Rock Cress (Arabis petiolaris)*T Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)* Shrubby Boneset (Eupatorium havanense)**T Shrubby Skullcap (Scutellaria wrightii)*T Slender Greenthread (Thelesperma filifolium)*T Snow on the mountain (Euphoribia marginata)**T Snow on the mountain (Euphorbia bicolor)**T Texas Aster (Aster texanus)*T Texas Sage (Salvia texana)*T Verbena/Vervain (Verbena spp.)* some are native Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina)* Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis dillenii)**T Zinnia (Zinnia spp.)* GROUND COVERS AND VINES Aaron’s Beard (Hypericum Calycinum)* Asiatic Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum)* Carolina yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)* Carpet Bugle (Ajuga reptans)* Clematis (Clematis spp.)* some are native Cow itch vine (Cissus incisa)*T Cross vine (Bignonia capreolata)*T English Ivy (Hedera spp.)* Monkey Grass (Ophiopagon japonica)* Myrtle (Vinca major)* Periwinkle (Vinca rosea)* Santolina (Santolina spp.)* Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)* Vinca (Vinca spp.)* Wisteria (Wisteria spp.)* SHRUBS AND SHRUB LIKE PLANTS Abelia (Abelia spp.)* Agarita (Berberis trifoliolata)*T Aucuba (Aucuba japonica)* Autumn Aster (Aster spp.)* Autumn Sage (Salvia gregii)*T Bamboo (Grass family- tribe Bambusae)* Blackberry (thorny only) (Rubus spp.) Boxwood (Buxus microphylla)* Butterfly Bush (Buddleia spp.)* some are native Cenizo (Leucophyllum frutescens)*T Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)* Cotoneaster (Coral Beauty) (cotoneaster dammeri)* Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)* Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana)***T Deciduous Holly (Ilex decidua) Dwarf Chinese Holly (Ilex cornuta)* Eleagnus (Eleagnus spp.)* Elephant Ear (Colocasia spp.)* Fragrant/pink Mimosa (Mimosa borealis)*T Goldcup (Hypericam spp.)* Holly (Ilex spp.) All varieties except thornless* some are native Japanese Aralia (Aralia sieboldii)* Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia texana)*T Lady Banksia Rose (Rosa banksiae)* Lantana (Lantana horrida)*T SHRUBS AND SHRUB LIKE PLANTS (continued) Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa)*T Mexican Hat (Ratibida columnaris)**T Mexican Oregano (Poliomintha longifolia)*T Mexican Silktassle (Garrya lindheimeri)*T Nandina (Nandina spp.)* Oleander (Nerium oleander)* Pampas Grass (Cortaderia spp.)* Pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea)* Queen’s Delight (Stillingia texana)*T Red leaf or Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)* Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.) * Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)* Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)* Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora)**T Turks Cap (Malvaviscus arboeus)*T Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)*T Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) **T SMALL TREES OR LARGE SHRUBS Ashe Juniper (Cedar) (Juniperus ashei)**T Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)*T Evergreen Sumac (Rhus sempervirens)*T Fig (Ficus spp.)* Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus lanceolata)*T Golden ball Lead tree (Leucana retusa)*T Plateau Liveoak (Quercus fusiformis)*T Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)*T Texas Buckeye (Aesculus arguta)*T Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana)*T Sandankwa Viburnum (Viburnum suspensum)* PERENNIAL SUCCULENTS AND LILIES Cactus (Opuntia spp.) Any with stout spines * Cast-Iron Plant (Aspidistra lurida or A. eliator)* Century Plant (Agave americana)* Hen and Chickens (Sempervivum spp.) Spiny varieties* Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus spp.) * Prickly pear Cactus (Opuntia lindheimeri)*T Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) flowers eaten**TPERENNIAL SUCCULENTS AND LILIES (continued) Sacahuista/Bear Grass/Nolina (Nolina spp.)*T Sotol/Desert Candle (Dasylirion spp.)* Soto (Daisylirion texanum) *T Yucca (Yucca spp.) ** some are native Twist leaf Yucca (Yucca rupicola) flowering stalks eaten**T TREES Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)*T Cherry Laurel (Prunus caroliniana)**T Plateau liveoak (Quercus fusiformis)**T Redbud (Cercis canadensis)*T Texas Ash (Fraxinus texensis)*T.