Strictly vegetarian, an average adult deer can eat between 4 and 6 pounds of food per day. Not only are they big eaters, they aren’t the slightest bit picky. Deer eat over 500 different varieties of plants, but, if they’re really hungry, they’ll eat just about anything in the garden or landscape.

Short of a fence, the next best thing is to take advantage of two weaknesses of deer – they’re creatures of habit and they are easily scared. Anything you can do to mix up their habits or make them think there is danger nearby might be enough to make them go elsewhere in search of food. But, deer aren’t foolish. If they realize the danger isn’t real, they will return, therefore, you must rotate any repellents or scare tactics you try.

Plants Deer Won’t Like

Deer in large herds with insufficient food will eat almost any garden vegetation, particularly in harsh winters. You can minimize deer damage by choosing plants that are the least favored and avoiding those that are the most liked so plan your garden accordingly. Among their favorites are azaleas, rhododendrons, yews, roses, Japanese maples, winged euonymous, hemlocks and arborvitae. The following is a list of plants rarely damaged by deer.

TREES
Chinese Paper Birch
Colorado Blue Spruce
Dragon Lady Holly
Douglas Fir
Japanese Cedar
San Jose Holly
Serviceberry
Scotch Pine

SHRUBS & CLIMBERS
Barberry
Bearberry
Blueberry Elder
Boxwood
Caryopteris
Common Buckhorn
Creeping Wintergreen
European Privet
Japanese Andromeda
Japanese Plum Yew
Leucothoe
Rose of Sharon
Russian Olive

ANNUALS & PERENNIALS
Ageratum
Anemone, Japanese
Basket of Gold
Bergenia
Bleeding Heart
Columbine
Dame’s Rocket
Deadnettle
Dill
Euphorbia
Ferns
Foam Flower
Foxglove
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Lamb’s Ears
Larkspur
Lavender
Marigold
Monkshood
Nasturtium
Oriental Poppy
Ornamental Grasses
Pachysandra
Plumbago
Purple Coneflower
Rhubarb
Rock Cress
Rose Campion
Geranium, Scented
Russian Sage
Sage
Snapdragon
Sweet Alyssum
Tansy, Common
Threadleaf Tickseed
Thyme
Toadflax
Tobacco Plant
Yarrow