At English Country Gardens we believe the best way to help our customers enjoy a more rewarding and successful gardening experience is to keep them informed. This is why we try to address all of your questions.  On this page we will try our best to highlight some of the most frequently asked questions and provide you with information we hope you will find useful.

DEER RESISTANT PLANTS:

As customers browse for plants for their garden we are often asked if deer will eat this or that plant.  My most frequent response to my customer is generally, “if you lie still long enough a hungry deer will probably try to eat you!”  The truth is that deer are generally looking for plants that contain the nutrition and moisture required for their survival and they honestly can’t see the imaginary lines that separate your garden or yard from their forests.

In the spring and summer when the pregnant female (Doe) or the Doe and her young are growing or when the males (Bucks) growing antlers your fertilized plants provide those proteins, energy-rich carbohydrates, minerals, and salts that are vital to their survival. Deer also get most of their water from the moisture contained within the plants so your young, succulent vegetation and young tender leaves are the most attractive things in the forest.

Deer can be a nuisance and difficult to control in areas that border the Deer’s territory or that lie in their path. There are a number of commercially available deer repellents on the market and there are many “home remedy” repellents (i.e., soap, human hair, animal dung, and others) but none are 100% effective and many are unreliable or not practical.  Some may even be banned by local ordinances or community covenants. Generally trapping and relocating nuisance deer is not available to the average homeowner.

If deer are overabundant in your neighborhood, and deer herd reduction or management is not attractive, feasible, or available to you then your options are limited.  The most effective and harmless deer deterrent I have heard about is a motion sensor water sprinkler that will activate every time a deer (or other motion) is sensed and quick burst of water will generally frighten away the cause of the motion.  Generally it doesn’t take long before the space within reach of your sprinkler is abandoned by the intruder.  However, even this is not 100% effective.

Another method is to plant deer-resistant plants.  Notice that I did not call them Deer-Proof.  There is no such thing as a deer-proof plant. Deer-resistant plants are plants that deer (for one reason or another) find less attractive to eat than other foods that are readily available.  However, you should keep in mind when deer populations are high and food becomes scarce, deer may feed on plants that are thought to be deer-resistant.  However, deer generally do not like plants with pungent aromas.  Many gardners combine such strong scented plants such as lantana, catmint, chives, mint, sage and thyme along with plants that deer are known to browse in order to deter the deer from the more coveted plants.  Deer also tend to stay away from plants with prickly or rough leaves and plants with bitter taste.  You may notice that at times deer will browse new plantings or established plants with tender new growth, then avoid these same plants once the leaves have matured.

There are many lists of deer-resistant plants available in books, through your local extension agent’s office, or on the internet and as carefully as these lists are compiled none of them will be 100% accurate because, as stated above, there are many variables that influence deer feeding preferences including the age and height of the deer, the abundance of other available food sources, the health of the deer, the amount of available water, and so on.

This list is an attempt to provide you with plants that are known to be more deer-resistant or less attractive to a foraging deer.  We hope you find it helpful when adding such plants to your garden.  We have attempted to exclude plants that are known to be invasive or a serious problem in natural areas, regardless of their level of deer tolerance. 

 

Plants Deer Occasionally or Frequently Browse (Protection is recommended)
Common Name	Botanical Name
American Arborvitae	Thuja occidentalis
American Beautyberry	Callicarpa acmericana
American Elder	Sambucus canadensis
American Sycamore	Platanus occidentalis
Arrow-wood	Viburnum dentatum
Asiatic Lilies	Lilium spp.
Beech (low branches)	Fagus spp.
Bittersweet	Celastrus scandens
Black-Eyed Susan	Rudbeckia spp.
Blackgum	Nyssa sylvatica
Blanket Flower	Gaillardia spp.
Buttonbush	Cephalanthus occidentalis
Carolina Ash	Fraxinus caroliniana
Carolina Buckthorn	Frangula caroliniana
Carolina Yellow Jessamine	Gelsemium sempervirens
Chrysanthemum (fall mums)	Chrysanthemum spp.
Coleus	Coleus spp.
Cosmos	Cosmos spp.
Crossvine	Bignonia capreolata
Daylily (prefer flowers and flower buds)	Hemerocallis spp.
Eastern Redbud	Cercis canadensis
Flowering Crabapple (small trees and low branches)	Malus spp.
Flowering Dogwood	Cornus florida
Fothergilla (flowers and new growth)	Fothergilla spp.
Fringetree	Chionanthus virginicus
Gerbera Daisy	Gerbera jamesonii
Grape Hyacinth	Muscari spp.
Green Ash (tender new growth)	Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Greenbriar	Smilax spp.
Hawthorn	Crataegus spp.
Hibiscus	Hibiscus spp.
Some Hollies (some, such as Lusterleaf, Mary Nell, Nellie R. Stevens, Blue)	Ilex spp.
Hollyhock	Alcea spp.
Honey Locust	Gleditsia triacanthos
Hop Hornbeam	Ostrya virginiana
Hosta	Hosta spp.
Hydrangea (bigleaf, oakleaf, climbing)	Hydrangea spp.
Impatiens	Impatiens walleriana
Indian Hawthorn	Rhaphiolepis indica
Japanese Maple (tender new growth)	Acer palmatum
Morning Glory	Ipomea spp.
Trumpet Honeysuckle	Lonicera sempervirens
Pansy	Viola spp.
Petunia	Petunia spp.
Redbay	Persea borbonia
Red Maple	Acer ruburm
Rhododendron	Rhododendron spp.
Rose Balsam	Impatiens balsamina
Roses	Rosa spp.
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'	Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
Serviceberry	Amelanchier arborea
Soloman's Seal,	Polygonatum spp.
Sourwood (tender new growth)	Oxydendron aroreum
Strawberry Bush	Euonymus ameicanus
Summersweet Clethra	Cletra alnifolia
Swamp Cyrilla	Cyrilla racemiflora
Sweetbay Magnolia	Magnolia virginiana
Sweetshrub	Calycanthus floridus
Titi	Cliftonia monophylla
Trumpet Creeper	Campsis radicans
Tulips	Tulip spp.
Violas	Viola spp.
Virginia Sweetspire	Itea virginica
Yew (English and Japanese)	Taxus spp.

 

 

Trees Deer Rarely Browse
Common Name	Botanical Name
Bald Cypress	Taxodium distichum
Carolina Silverbell	Halesia carolina
Cherry Laurel	Prunus laurocerasus
Crape Myrtle	Lagerstroemia indica
Dawn Redwood	Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Deodar Cedar	Cedrus deodara
Eastern Redcedar	Juniperus virginiana L.
Falsecypress	Chamaecyparis spp.
Fir	Abies spp.
Ginkgo	Ginko biloba
Goldenraintree	Koelreuteria paniculata
Gordonia	Gordonia lasianthus
Japanese Cedar	Cryptomeria japonica
Katsura Tree	Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Kousa Dogwood	Cornus kousa
Pawpaw	Asimina triloba
Palm	Many genera and species
Pine	Pinus spp.
Saucer Magnolia, Japanese Magnolia	Magnolia x soulangiana
Southern Magnolia	Magnolia grandiflora
Smoketree	Cotinus obovatus
Spruce	Picea spp.
Sugar Maple	Acer saccharum
Sweetgum	Liquidambar styraciflua
Tuliptree, Tulip Poplar	Liriodendron tulipifera

 

 

Shrubs Deer Rarely Browse
Common Name	Botanical Name
Banana Shrub	Michelia figo
Barberry	Berberis spp.
Beautybush	Kolkwitzia amabilis
Bottlebrush Buckeye	Aesculus parviflora
Boxwood	Buxus spp.
Butterfly Bush	Buddleia spp.
Common Witchhazel	Hamamelis virginiana
Cotoneaster	Cotoneaster spp.
Deutzia	Deutzia spp.
Drooping Leucothoe	Leucothoe fontanesiana
European Fan Palm	Chamaerops humilis
Firethorn (Pyracantha)	Pyracantha coccinea
Flowering Quince	Chaenomeles speciosa
Gardenia	Gardenia spp.
Glossy Abelia	Abelia spp.
Some Hollies (yaupon, inkberry, Chinese and Japanese) See occasionally browsed list.	Ilex spp.
Japanese Andromeda	Pieris japonica
Japanese Plum Yew	Cephalotaxus harringtonia
Japanese Rose	Kerria japonica
Junipers	Juniperus spp.
Needle Palm	Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Oleander	Nerium oleander
Osmanthus	Osmanthus spp.
Pineapple Guava	Feijoa sellowiana
Pomegranate	Punica granatum
Primrose Jasmine	Jasminum mesnyi
Sotol	Dasylirion wheeleri
Spirea	Spiraea spp.
Sweet Box	Sarcoccoca hookeriana
Viburnum	Viburnum spp.
Wax Myrtle	Myrica cerifera
Weigela	Weigela florida
Winter Daphne	Daphne odora
Yucca	Yucca filimentosa

 

 

Ornamental Grasses Deer Rarely Browse
Common Name	Botanical Name
Fountaingrass	Pennisetum alopecuroides
Feather Reed Grass	Calamagrostis spp.
Hakone Grass	Hakonechloa macra
Lemongrass	Cymbopogon citratus
Little Bluestem	Schizachyrium scoparium
Northern Sea Oats	Chasmanthium latifolium
Pampas Grass	Cortaderia selloana
Pink Muhly Grass	Muhlenbergia capillaris
Purple Moor Grass	Molinia caerulea
Ravenna Grass	Erianthus ravennae
Sedge	Carex spp.
Sweet Flag	Acorus spp.
Switch Grass	Panicum virgatum

 

 

Vines and Groundcovers Deer Rarely Browse
Common Name	Botanical Name
Bugleweed (Ajuga)	Ajuga reptans
Columbine	Aquilegia spp.
Confederate Jasmine	Trachelospermum jasminoides
Creeping Raspberry	Rubus calycinoides
Creeping Lantana	Lantana montevidensis
Dwarf Mondograss	Ophiopogon japonicus
Japanese Pachysandra	Pachysandra terminalis
Junipers	Juniperus spp.
Liriope	Liriope spicata
Plumbago	Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Prostrate Rosemary	Rosemarinus officinalis 'Prostratus'
Sweet Woodruff	Galium odoratum (Asperula odorata)
Thyme	Thymus spp.

 

 

Herbaceous Perennials and Bulbs Deer Rarely Browse
Common Name	Botanical Name
Allium	Allium spp.
African Lily	Agapanthus spp.
Amaryllis	Hippeastrum spp.
Anise Hyssop	Agastache spp.
Aster	Aster spp.
Astilbe	Astilbe spp.
Balloon Flower	Platycodon grandiflorus
Beebalm	Monarda didyma
Boltonia	Boltonia spp.
Bush Cinquefoil	Potentilla fruticosa
Butterfly Weed	Asclepias tuberosa
Candytuft	Iberis spp.
Cardinal Flower	Lobelia spp.
Catmint	Nepeta spp.
Christmas Fern	Polystichum arcostichoides
Cinnamon Fern	Osmunda cinnamomea
Columbine	Aquilegia spp.
Crinum Lily	Crinum spp.
Crocosmia	Croscosmia spp.
Crocus	Crocus spp.
Daffodils	Narcissus spp.
Dahlia	Dahlia spp.
Delphinium	Delphinium spp.
Elephant Ears	Alocasia spp. / Colocasia spp.
False Indigo	Baptisia australis
Foamflower	Tiarella cordifolia
Forget-Me-Not	Myosotis spp.
Four O'Clock	Mirabilis jalapa
Foxglove	Digitalis spp.
Gay-feather (Liatris)	Liatris spp.
Globe Thistle	Echinops spp.
Goldenrod	Solidago spp.
Green Jerusalem Sage	Phlomis spp.
Hens and Chickens	Sempervivum spp.
Iris	Iris spp.
Jack-in-the-pulpit	Arisaema triphylum
Lamb's Ear	Stachys byzantine
Lantana	Lantana spp.
Larkspur	Consolida ambigua
Lavender	Lavandula spp.
Lavender-cotton	Santolina chamaecyparissus
Lenten Rose	Helleborus spp.
Lily-of-the-Nile	Agapanthus africanus
Lupine	Lupinus spp.
Marjoram	Origanum marjorana
May Apple	Podophyllum peltatum
Meadow Rue	Thalictrum aquilegifolium
Mint	Mentha spp.
Money Plant	Lunaria annua
Oregano	Oreganum vulgare
Peony	Paeonia spp.
Perennial Sunflower	Helianthus spp.
Pinks	Dianthus spp.
Poppy	Papaver spp.
Primrose	Primula spp.
Purple Coneflower	Echinacea purpurea
Rose Campion	Lychnis coronaria
Rosemary	Rosmarinus officinalis
Royal Fern	Osmunda regalis
Russian Sage	Perovskia atriplicifolia
Snowdrop	Galanthus nivalis
Society Garlic	Tulbaghia violacea
Speedwell	Veronica spp.
Sweet Woodruff	Galium odoratum (Asperula odorata)
Statice	Limonium latifolium
Tansy	Tanacetum vulgare
Tarragon	Artemisia dracunculus
Threadleaf Coreopsis	Coreopsis verticillata
Toad Lily	Tricyrtis hirta
Texas Sage	Salvia greggii
Wallflower	Cheiranthus spp.
Wild Indigo	Baptisia spp.
Wormwood	Artemesia spp.
Yarrow	Achillea filipendulina

 

 

Annuals Deer Rarely Browse
Common Name	Botanical Name
Ageratum	Ageratum houstonianum
Alyssum	Lobularia spp.
Annual Periwinkle	Catharanthus spp.
Annual Salvia	Salvia spp.
Baby's Breath	Gypsophila spp.
Bachelor's Buttons	Centaurea cyanus
Basil	Ocimum basilicum
Calendula, Pot Marigold	Calendula officinalis
California Poppy	Eschscholzia californica
Cock's Comb	Celosia spp.
Dusty Miller	Centaurea cineraria
Flowering Tobacco	Nicotiana spp.
Lantana	Lantana spp.
Marigold	Tagetes spp.
Parsley	Petroselinum crispum
Scarlet Sage	Salvia coccinea
Swedish Ivy	Plectranthus spp.
Snapdragon	Antirrhinum majus
Spiderflower	Cleome spp.
Strawflower	Bracteantha bracteata
Stock	Matthiola incana
Sweet Pea	Lathyrus odoratus
Verbena	Verbena x hybrida

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHING YOUR OWN BUTTERFLY GARDEN, YOU MAY FIND THIS NEXT INFORMATION HELPFUL:

I have had customers ask me if by planting gardens to attract butterflies they aren’t simply inviting caterpillars to come and eat up all of their plants.  This is a very good question.

Butterflies enjoy the nectar from various flowering plants.  They seem to enjoy flowers that have clusters of small blooms so they can rest while taking nectar from several blooms at a time, thereby conserving energy.  Such blooms would include the Buddleia, Lantana, and others that we will list later.

Caterpillars or larvae require a different type of food source during their development. Adult butterflies lay their eggs on larval host plants. After the eggs hatch, the caterpillars feed on the host plants until the time comes for them to form a chrysalis (where the caterpillar metamorphoses to a butterfly).  Planting larval host plants is one of the most important things you can do to help the survival of future generations of butterflies.

Butterflies are much more choosey with their host plants than they are with their nectar plants. Some butterfly species use only a couple of different plants species (or perhaps only plants from one family) as host plants. The destruction of a population of host plants can have a large effect on butterfly populations. Planting larval host plants in your home landscape will have the greatest impact on local butterfly populations.

Think of Butterflies as being “solar powered” and needing to be warm and dry to fly. Something as simple as a cloudy day will make butterfly activity drop from dozens during a sunny stretch to none, when a cloud shades your garden from the sun.  If you do not have an open garden, consider planting a series of smaller gardens that follow and take advantage of sunny spots throughout the day. You will enjoy watching Butterflies move through your gardens following the sun.

Butterflies are also delicate and can be blown about easily. Gardens that help to provide a buffer from the wind such as horseshoe shaped gardens, larger flowering shrubs, a bit of fencing, or other shelter will be most attractive to Butterflies.  You will also attract hummingbirds to these gardens by providing resting spots such as dead or bare twigs.  Hummingbirds also prefer cover such as flowering shrubs and downward sloping branches as cover.

The importance of diversity cannot be overstated. A wide open grass lawn with a lone butterfly or hummingbird garden in the middle will attract some activity but not as many as an area with lots of options. Remember to incorporate both formal and informal spaces in your gardens and don’t overlook the obvious such as wildflower meadows and native plants (sometimes called weeds).

 

LARVAL HOST PLANTS:

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) – Spring Azure

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberose) – Monarch, Queen

Carolina laurel cherry (Prunus caroliniana) – Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Red-spotted Purple

Dill (Anethum garveolens) – Eastern Black Swallowtail

Eastern hop hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) – Mourning Cloak

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) – Eastern Black Swallowtail

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) – Spring Azure

Ironweed (Vernonia altissima) Painted Lady

Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) – Variegated Fritillary, Meadow Fritillary, Gulf Fritillary

Plantain (Plantago major) – Buckeye

River birch (Betula nigra) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Comma

Rue (Ruta garveolens) – Giant Swallowtail, Eastern Black Swallowtail

Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) – Mourning Cloak, Question Mark, Comma

Smallflower pawpaw (Asimina parviflora) – Zebra Swallowtail

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) – Spicebush Swallowtail

Sweet bay (Magnolia virginiana) – Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Viburnum (Viburnum sp.) – Spring Azure

Violet (Viola sp.) – Variegated Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary

Wild azalea (Rhododendron spp.) – Comma

Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) – Pipevine Swallowtail

Winged elm (Ulmus alata) – Mourning Cloak, Question Mark, Comma

Butterfly Nectar Plant

Anise sage (Salvia guaranitica)

Annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus)

Bee-balm (Monarda fistulosa)

Bergamot (Monarda didyma)

Black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Blazing star (Liatris spicata)

Bog sage (Salvia uglinosa)

Butterflybush (Buddlehia davidii)

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) - Monarch, Queen

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus)

Cosmos (Cosmos spp.)

Feathered amaranth (Celosia cristata)

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) - Eastern Black Swallowtail

Glossy abelia (Abelia grandiflora)

Horsemint (Monarda punctata)

Ironweed (Veronia altissima)

Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)

Lance-leaved coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

Lantana (Lantana camara)

Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha)

Mint (Mentha sp.) – Gray Hairstreak

Mullein (Verbascum thapsum)

Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata)

Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans)

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Scarlet hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) - Checkered Skipper

Spider flower (Cleome spinosa) - Checkered White

Swamp hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus)

Tickseed (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Verbena (Verbena spp.)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)

 

Look for these butterflies or in your own backyard.

Black Swallowtail

Buckeye

Cloudless Sulphur

Comma

Crescentspot

Eastern Tiger

Grey Hairstreak

Gulf Fritillary

Monarch Viceroy

Mourning Cloak

Painted Lady

Pipevine Swallowtail

Question Mark

Red Admiral

Red Spotted Purple

Spicebush Swallowtail

Spring Azure

Swallowtail

Variegated Fritillary