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Deer-resistant plants: how to love the community without feeding it

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:30:16 +0000

We love Austin–everything about it; from the unique natural beauty to the lively community. That being said, when members of the community, the local white-tailed deer to be specific, start using your naturally beautiful landscape as a snack, we have a conflict of interest on our hands.

If you’ve found yourself in the same boat, not to worry– in the spirit of compromise, our very own Green Gardener, Richard Fadal, has come up with a few plants you can use that won’t land themselves in the belly of a hungry deer on a rampage for a midnight snack.

A few deer-resistant trees which have proven successful are live oaks and Texas cedar elm. For some larger shrubs, try the Texas mountain laurel, Purple Flowering Sage, and Yaupon Holly. Medium-sized shrubs which have grown successfully in heavily deer populated areas are agarita, century plant, Texas Sotol, Red Flowering Yucca, and non-invasive Hybrid Nandina (we explain more about non-invasive plants in a separate post). For those who prefer lower plants, we recommend rosemary, big muhly grass, bearded iris and new gold lantana.

So as spring rolls around and you’re planning your next landscaping move, keep these tips in mind for a longer-lasting, beautiful yard which is inviting to the human eye, but not to our deer friends’ tummies.

For a few more suggestions, as well as visuals of these deer-proof plants and landscaping tips, check out the Green Gardener Richard Fadal’s segment on how to keep deer away from your plants on KEYE TV’s Web site, WeAreAustin.com.

Have you used any of these plants in your yard? Have other suggestions? We’d love to hear them (and we’re sure our readers would too)! Leave your comments below and let us know what you have to say. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks to keep that landscape of yours looking beautiful.