" What can I plant that the deer will not like?" Here are some plants that are deer resistant.

image from newswire.com

We are having summer like weather now.  But the breeze does help with making it a little more comfortable being outside.  We got .2 inches of rain last night.  Some got one inch and some didn’t get any.  Let us hope we all get more this week.  Stay safe….stay cool as temperatures will be summer like. 
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Which Plants Deer Won't Eat (Unless Desperate!)  by Catherine Boeckmann
Oh, dear! Do you have problems with deer eating your garden plants? Think salvia, sweet alyssum, snapdragons, poppies, globe amaranth, lantana, and cleome. Choose the right plants, and you can have color despite the darn deer!
Let’s be frank: there are no absolutely 100% deer-proof plants. If food is scarce enough, hungry deer have been known to eat almost anything. The heaviest browsing by deer will occur from October through February, especially during the difficult winter months.
That said, there are many plants that are much less palatable to deer. Would you eat your least-favorite food if your favorite sweets were around the corner? Well, don’t grow deer’s favorites (like tender hosta)! Instead, get to know which plants are NOT deer’s top choice on the menu, so the hungry herds walk by to choose more appetizing choices. They will only choose your plants if they’re desperate.
Which Plants Deer Like to Eat
Some plants qualify as “deer candy.” We certainly don’t want to be laying out a deer buffet with our hard-earned dollars.
Avoid planting narrow-leafed evergreens, especially arborvitae and fir. 
Deer also show a particular preference for hostas, daylilies, and English ivy, according to researchers from the University of Rhode Island, who have studied white-tailed deer damage to nurseries.
Interestingly, several participants in the study noted that deer seem to prefer plants that have been fertilized to those that haven’t.
 
Which Plants Deer Don’t Want to Eat
Not surprisingly, deer tend to stay away from poisonous plants. daffodils, foxgloves, and poppies are common flowers that deer avoid.
Deer also tend to turn their noses up at fragrant plants with strong scents. Herbs such as sages, ornamental salvias, and lavender, as well as flowers like peonies and bearded irises, are just “stinky” to deer.
Would you want to eat something prickly? Neither do deer (unless they’re desperate). Plants such as lamb’s ear are not on their preferred menu.
Deer-Resistant Plants for Shade
One of our favorite deer-resistant perennials are bleeding hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis, aka Dicentra spectabilis).
Astilbe are also deer-resistant plants that grow well in the shade. Astilbe ‘Bridal Veil’, ‘Visions’, and ‘Fanal’ make a nice mix.
coreopsis and echinacea
Coreopsis and Echinacea purpurea
 
Deer-Resistant Plants for Sun
Coreopsis verticillata ’Zagreb’ attracts butterflies but not deer and offers a long season of bloom from May through September.
Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ or Blazing Star is also a sun-loving perennial that isn’t a popular choice on the deer buffet.
Echinacea purpurea is one of our favorite native flowers and a magnet for pollinators!
Another sun-lover is Salvia x sylvestris or Wood Sage.
Finally, the popular Leucanthemum x superbum ’Becky’ is a popular variety of Shasta Daisy that deer do not favor.
List of Top Deer-Resistant Plants, Flowers, and Shrubs
Research has shown which plants are less likely to be eaten by deer and can be labeled “deer-resistant.” Here’s a list popular plants that deer rarely or seldom severely damage. Again, keep in mind that the first rule in deer-proofing is that there are no completely deer-proof plants.
            Common name
Yarrow
Monkshood
Ageratum
Allium sp.     Onion
Allegheny Serviceberry
Snapdragon
Horseradish
Tarragon
Silver Mound
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Wild Ginger
Asparagus
Aster
Astilbe
Barberry
Borage
Butterfly Bush
Common Boxwood
Lenten or Christmas Rose
Cactus
Pot Marigold
Blue Mist Shrub
Dusty Miller
Bachelor’s Buttons
Cleome
Autumn Crocus
larkspur
Lily of the Valley
Threadleaf Coreopsis
Corydalis
Cytisus sp.    Broom
Daphne
Bleeding Heart
Common Foxglove
Wood Fern
Purple Coneflower
Small Globe Thistle
Bluebell
Winer Aconite
Snow-on-the-Mountain
Spurge
Blue Fescue
Crown Imperial, Fritilia
Snowdrops
Baby’s Breath
Strawflower
Heliotrope
Hyssop
American Holly
Winterberry Holly
Iris
Juniper
Lantana
Lavender
Statice
Sweet Alyssum
Horehound
Lemon Balm
Mint
Bee Balm
Forget-Me-Not
Bayberry
Daffodil
Catmint
Basil
Fern
Pachysandra
Peony
Poppy
Russian Sage
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Anise
Pine
Cinquefoil
Buttercup
Fragrant Sumac
Rosemary
Black-Eyed Susan
Rue
Willows
Garden Sage
Lamb’s Ear
Common Lilac
Common Tansy
Germander
Thyme
Yucca
Arrowwood Viburnum
Zinnia
 
Note: Even “resistant” varieties can be vulnerable in the first few weeks after planting, when their leaf tissue is especially nitrogen-rich. If you have major deer problems, we recommend spraying new plants with a deer repellent for 3 to 4 weeks after planting to prevent them from being nibbled on and damaged. Even if they are feasted on, as long as the root systems of the plants are not damaged, the plants should survive.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/deer-resistant-plants
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365