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Gardening in Deer Country
Since the nursery is
located in the Sierra
Nevada’s, we have to
garden with deer in mind.
We have a few plants that
can take deer browsing and
still survive. Following
are our recommendations of
plants that may not be as
attractive to the deer and
can take our winter
climate and survive (not
just survive, but THRIVE)!
For taller plants used as
a border/screen from
neighbors and roads etc.;
we recommend….Deador Cedar or Cedrus
Deodora - this blue-green
evergreen reaches 60 feet
tall and 30 feet wide. It
has stiff needles that
sort of weep completely to
the ground. Although it
looks sparse, it makes a
wonderful screen when
planted in full to part
sun.
We highly recommend
screening all trees, even
if they are deer
resistant, as the deer
will “sharpen” their
antlers or “mark” their
territory on trees that
are newly planted.
Some other
large trees for screening are:
*Pines - we usually have
the Austrian or Pinus
Nigra
Spruce.
*Oak-Holly Oak or Quercus
ilex - is nice!
*Liquid Amber
gorgeous fall color!
*Chinese Pistache
*Doug Fir
*Giant Sequoia
Medium Shrubs for background plants are:
Grevillia Noeli, gets 4x4
and has red flowers in the
early spring. Grevillia
Canberra gets 8x8 and
looks very similar.
Barberry has a beautiful
leaf. "Crimson Pygmy
Barberry" has a purple
leaf and only gets 2x2
while other varieties such
as “Gold Ring,
Atropurpurea, and Rosy
Glow” get upwards of 4
feet and have beautiful
fall color (red).
Then there are the
evergreen varieties that
have glossy green leaves
and yellow flowers. They
usually have some mean
stickers, so plant them
where you won’t have to
fuss with them; the deer
don’t like “fussing” with
them either.
With this purple foliage something grey looks
fantastic. Luckily there
are many plants that are
“deer resistant” and grey!
 Artemesia is a perfect
combination with the
Purple Barberry there are
all different sizes too!
Silver Mound only gets a
foot tall and wide, while
“Powis Castle” can get 2-3
feet tall and wide! We
usually keep different
varieties of this plant in
stock.
Some other deer resistant
noteworthy mentions are:
Rockrose or Cistus - green
foliage with pink, or
white flowers.
Teucrium fruticans - grey
foliage with periwinkle
blue flowers.
Mahonia or Oregon Grape -
partial shade.
Saracoccoa - A glossy
green evergreen with
fragrant flowers! Partial
to full shade.
Rosemary - I know everyone already has 2.
These have hundreds of
tiny, violet flowers that
the deer will not touch
because of the odor of its
spiky leaves. A favorite
for good reasons!
Juniper - before you turn
your nose up at this one,
wait! There are many
different varieties that
don’t look like the old
fashioned “Tam” There are
beautiful, upright conical
ones that add height to
your yard, and ground
covers that keep the weeds
down, hold the hills and
look good all year round!
 Skyrocket is a gorgeous
blue and gives a wonderful
“punch!” of height.
“Wiltonii” is a beautiful
ground – hugging cover. We
usually have these in
stock.
Perennials!
This is where you can
really add color to
your yard. There are lots
of perennials that can
offer successive color if
you plan right.
Russian Sage - Pervoskia
blooms in the summer with
periwinkle blue flowers on
stiff upright stocks that
seem to say, “go ahead and
try to eat me”.
Coreopsis - so many colors
and so heat resistant. The
thread leaf are really
hardy and spectacular.
 Rudbeckia or Black Eyed
Susan - What says summer
more than this?
More plants that can hold
their own against the
deer:
Lavender - all sizes
available.
Lambs Ear Stachys.
Teucrium - yes it comes in
a small form.
Salvia - this genus is
incredible--low growing
forms all the way up to
varieties that get 5 feet!
(Believe it….or not!)
 Salvia gregii seems to be
coming in all shades of
color you can imagine,
white, red, pink, coral,
purple, red and white. Got
to have it.
Lamium - for those areas
that don’t have the full
sun.
Yarrow - another one
ranging in tall forms
Paprika and Moonshine to
the wonderful short
variety, Kelleri and King
George that form a tight,
low mat.
Thyme - many different
colors and textures.
 Hypericum - ok, overused
here but some great new
varieties are coming out,
from yellow forms to
tri-colored forms. These
plants benefit from a bit of
afternoon shade, no matter
what the label says!
Ornamental Oregano -
Kent's Beauty has
"bobbing" pink flowers.
Agastache - most people I
talk to don’t know this
one. I don’t think it is
that new, but not only
deer resistant, also
wonderfully fragrant and
attractive to the hummers
and butterflies! Available
in hot and cool colors!
Annuals!
This category is tough. It
seems the deer used to
leave Marigolds and
Zinnias alone, but in some
of our severe areas
--forget it! What you can
do is plant whatever you
want and spray it with
deer repellant. We have a
few different types. They
all work as long as you
follow the directions on
the label. Don’t follow
directions? Then it won’t
work.
We actually recommend that
you purchase the deer
repellant even for newly
planted “deer resistant”
plants. Sometimes they
will sample newly planted
plants no matter what they
are, so the repellant
helps to keep the plant
protected until it can get
established and bounce
back from a “deer
invasion”
Some of the repellants we
carry are:
Liquid Fence - our best
selling product!
Deer Scram - advantage is
you don’t spray it on the
plant.
Plantskydd - good
alternative to Liquid
Fence.
Shake Away - a predator
urine product.
We also have great tips
from our customers for
keeping deer away. A dog
works well, (as long as
the deer don’t attack it).
Blood Meal, Irish Spring
soap shavings, Human Hair,
or a fence (this one works
the best!). Whatever you
try, it’s worth it.
Together, we can outsmart
them. They can live here
with us peacefully, but
they can’t have our
plants.
Deer fencing can be
unobtrusive, blending in
with the natural
surroundings, and keeping
deer away from your
gardens. Look closely in
the photo below to see the
fencing.
Remember, many plants are
deer-proof, but when
really hungry, deer will
cross those boundaries of
your garden. Deer Fencing
is the only absolute for
prevention.
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