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Deer are a major menace to Hill Country landscapes.
Rural landscapes have the biggest problems, but urban landscapes
often are attacked as well. Deer-resistant plants are the ideal
solution; but, unfortunately, few plants are fully deer proof. The
combination of heat and summer droughts almost invariably make
late summer and fall a particularly trying time for deer-plagued
areas.
Variability in browsing pressure plus variable taste preferences
by individual deer makes it impossible to compile a foolproof list
of resistant plants -- unless the list is made very short. With
this disclaimer in place, the following list of resistant plants
was compiled.
Large Trees
None
have been observed to be resistant enough to leave unprotected.
Fortunately, trees can be caged until they grow taller than the
deer when small. The best approach is to make a cage around each
tree until it grows beyond the deer's reach.
Key to comments:
1
Rarely if ever eaten
2 Observed heavily
eaten under pressure
3 Texas Natives
4 Shade tolerant
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Small Trees or Large
Shrubs
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Desert Willow - 3
Fig
Flameleaf Sumac - 3
Mountain Laurel – 1 and 3
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Roughleaf Dogwood - 3 and 4
Texas Buckeye – 3 and 4
Texas Persimmon
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Shrubs
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Abelia
Acuba - 4
Agarita -1 and 3
Autumn Aster - 2
Autumn Sage – 1,3 and 4
Blackberry (thorny only) – 2 and 3
Boxwood - 1
Ceniza/Texas Sage - 3
Cotoneaster (Coral Beauty) - 1
Dwarf Chinese Holly
Dwarf Yaupon – 1and 3
Eleagnus
Evergreen Sumac - 3
Fragrant Mimosa - 3
Germander
Goldcup
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Japanese
Aralia
Jerusalem Cherry
Juniper – 2 and 3
Lantana - (natives resistant, hybrids not) - 3
Lavender
Mexican Buckeye - 3
Mexican Oregano
Mexican Silktassle - 3
Nandina – 2 and 4
Oleander - 1
Pampas Grass
Pyracantha - 2
Red-Leaf or Japanese Barberry
Rosemary - 1
Scotch Broom
Turks Cap – 3 and 4
Wax Myrtle - 2 and 3
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Perennial Succulents and
Lilies
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Cacus
(any with stout spines) - 1 and 3
Hen and chickens (spiny varieties)
Lily of the Nile
Red Yucca (flowers eaten) - 3
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Sacahuista/Bear
Grass/Nolina - 3
Sotol - 3
Yucca - 3
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Vines
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Carolina
Jessamine
Star Jasmine - 2
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Ground Covers
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Aarons
Beard
Asiatic Jasmine - 2
Carpet Bugle – 2 and 4
Monkey grass - 2
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Myrtle
- 4
Santolina- 1 and 3
Spearmint - 3
Thyme
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Flowers, Ferns, Herbs
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Ageratum
Begonia - 2
Black-eyed Susan - 3
Blackfoot Daisy - 3
Bluebonnet - 3
Cast-Iron Plant - 4
Cedar Sage –1, 3 and 4
Chrysanthemum (flowers eaten)
Coreopsis - 3
Cosmos
Dusty Miller - 1
Flame Acanthus
Foxglove - 3
Holly Fern - 4
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Indigo
Spires
Iris - 2
Mealy Blue Sage - 1 and 3
Mexican Bush Sage - 2
Mexican Mint Marigold - 1
Periwinkle - 1
Purple Cone Flower - 2 and 3
Savory
Sword Fern - 4
Verbena - 3
Wood Fern - 3 and 4
Yarrow - 3
Zexmenia - 3
Zinnia - 2
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Source: John A. Lipe (deceased)
Former Professor and Extension Horticulturist
The
Texas A&M University System
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