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Birds and butterflies in your yard are lovely additions, but deer and rabbits are a pain in the grass! You plant something, they eat it. I’ve planted flowers before and found nothing but little nubs the very next morning. Frustrating! But, it’s a regrettable part of lawn care if you live in areas with wildlife. What can you do?
Plant deer and rabbit-resistant plants.
Critters will eat almost anything when they’re hungry, but there are some plants that they usually stay away from. (Usually is the key word here…)
Rabbit-resistant plants:
|
Ajuga |
Fritillaria |
Primrose |
|
Allium |
Garlic |
Rhubarb |
|
Astilbe |
Hellebore |
Rosemary |
|
Basil |
Iris |
Sage |
|
Bee Balm |
Jojoba |
Salvia |
|
Bleeding Heart |
Lamb’s Ear |
Sedum |
|
Blue Giant Hosta |
Lantana |
Shasta Daisy |
|
Catmint |
Lavender |
Thyme |
|
Chives |
Onion |
Tulips |
|
Clematis |
Oregano |
Verbena |
|
Daffodil |
Pampas Grass |
Yarrow |
|
Daylily |
Parsley |
|
|
Foxglove |
Peony |
|
Deer-resistant plants:
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Ageratum |
Crocus |
Hickory tree |
|
Astilbe |
Daffodil |
Holly |
|
Barberry |
Dill |
Honeysuckle |
|
Basil |
Dogwood, Red Osier |
Lantana |
|
Bayberry |
Eastern Red Cedar |
Mints |
|
Beech Tree |
Echinacea |
Morning Glory |
|
Birch Tree |
Fennel |
Oriental Poppy |
|
Bleeding Heart |
Ferns |
Purple smoke tree |
|
Boxwood |
Forsythia |
Pyracantha |
|
Burning bush |
French Marigold |
Russian Olive |
|
Butterfly bush |
Grape Hyacinth |
Snapdragon |
|
Catmint |
Hardy Geranium |
Sweetgum tree |
|
Columbine |
Hibiscus |
Zinnia |
FYI: ANY tender, young plants will be extremely appetizing to all kinds of critters!
The above is a short list of the more common plants. The following websites have lots more info and plants you’ve never heard of.
About.com - Deer-resistant plants for the landscape
Kansas State Extension of Harvey County - Deer Damage in the Garden
Mountain States Wholesale Nursery - Rabbit Resistant (?) Plants
Lewisgardens.com - Deer and Rabbit Resistant Plants
If you want to see what some of these plants look like, here’s a great book: 50 Beautiful Deer Resistant Plants by Ruth Rogers Clausen, photography by Alan L. Detrick. Click here to go to Amazon and look inside this book. It’s gotten great reviews!
Put up a fence or net.
Personally, I don’t think fencing or netting looks very pretty in your garden. Of course, if it’s a matter of saving your vegetable harvest, by all means go for it. Just remember, deer can jump. High.
Spray some stinky stuff. That is, stinky to your woodland friends.
Bonide’s website offers some solutions in granular or spray products.
Imustgarden website offers earth-people-pet-friendly products.
If you have other tried-and-true methods, we'd love to hear them!
