PETITTI | Deer Resistant Perennials for Sun & Shade

Deer browsing is the #1 challenge for gardeners in Northeast Ohio. Fortunately, it’s possible to overcome or work around this issue with a little know-how. Noelle walks through the garden center and shares some fantastic perennials that the deer tend to avoid. She also shares what attributes to look for when selecting deer-resistant blooms. No plant is truly impervious to deer browsing, but finding plants with sharp or leathery foliage, fragrance, and natural toxicity can help. From the early blooming Hellebores to summer staple, Lavender, there are many deer-resistant perennials that bloom throughout the growing season that offer color in the garden.

[mapndo]

Thx Noel ...what a great video and so helpful but just seeing the plants was incredibly inspirational from someone in Texas with neither Deer nor Rabbits to have to fend off....but Mr. Sun is something else...and you cant really hide from that guy. 😰

[kathystarnes]

This is the first and best information I’ve heard on deer resistant plants. Thank you so much!

[zurqcfb]

Great love one on bunny resistant plants. They're so naughty! They've destroyed my beautiful Floret zinnias and dahlias that I grew from seed.

[maureenmckenna]

It’s been expensive, time consuming and hard work, but I have dug out almost 3/4 of my deer attracting plants over the past two years. Have been gardening in my home for twenty years now and, with spraying and netting, I have been able to keep lots of hosta and limelight hydrangea safe. My lilies, not so much, but I usually got some blooms early on. No more. Spraying or even netting now does not deter. I have enclosed a 10 x 10 foot area with posts and netting as it contained a lot of plants they ate and was a good bang for the buck. I have planted hellebores in place of hosta, allium in place of lilies, and added dahlias for color. Rabbits are eating the foliage but that’s a small task when compared to deer damage. Yarrow in many colors and sizes has also lasted so far, and ferns. I replaced four 7 year old Little Limes, gorgeous, with butterfly bushes and a mountain mint. Agastache comes in many forms now and works very well. Pink, blue and orange flowers on different size plants. I am looking for long flowering color, that can last through a hot and humid Virginia summer. Caryopteris is also a great choice. Spirea in all forms will not be eaten, and I have Double play Doozie, a real winner for color. I am still searching for shade plants with color that are immune to deer in place of some very large hosta that have been newly eaten this year. I would almost rather have bear earth with mulch than see plants destroyed by deer. The ones I have mentioned have done very well last year and this, so far. Armaments are frowned upon in our community, so that is not a choice.

[fqcsiee]

Noel..thank you for all the great information..All the plants and flowers 💐 look beautiful too!!❤😊

[rebeccaweiss]

This was terrific. Thank you for such a thorough and informative video.

[dlight]

Do you have a rabbit-resistant video? This year the rabbits ate everything that I thought they wouldn't: lantana, Superbena verbena, dusty miller, argyranthemum, geranium, wax begonia, asclepias, coneflower

[susanschellberg]

Very informative. I have many of the perennials you mentioned and the deer have not touched them. I'm gradually replacing my large hosta and daylily collections with deer resistant plants. I've had deer get my lily blooms even with spray and netting. Fortunately, there are so many plants deer won't eat. I also use a lot of herbs.

[lindakay]

Fantastic video, thanks Noel. I live in a wooded area and have several Hosta and Heuchera plants. This year the deer have been very good and haven't nibbled or eaten any of them. Now if I could keep the squirrels away from digging around them I would be all set. Next season I will be checking out some of the plants you suggested for the shade. Thanks again!!

[marylynnhaynes]

This was really informative and timely for me. Thank you!

[rtrxpqf]

Hi there Noelle: I have never seen a deer in 6b yet however I do have clay soil that was amended with compost. Some clay pieces are larger and I started to go through clearing them out of the land but noticed they are starting to break down. Now mulching with Sienna Red and borders are looking much better. Always appreciate you Noelle & Angelo's Radio Program for a learning experience that can be trusted! Happy 4th of July & thanks again

[zsg]

Thank you for the very informative video, really good. 👍🏻😁
Could you do a video about Gopher resistant plants please?

[maureenmckenna]

St. John’s wort is fabulous. I have one standard bush 4x4 now, gorgeous show of red berries after yellow flowers. Needs water to stay healthy I have found. Also, in two dwarf varieties. Well worth it. The rabbits ate my pink penstemen but not my white. Stokes aster a big yes. Needs water.

[backpainever]

Lungwort and Columbine Thank you for the ideas.

[olsonlr]

Man, the deer repeatedly mow my black eyed Susans to the ground!

[life-mmdo]

My garden is full of all kinds of flowers in my garden. I just put garlic powder on my flowers and in the garden after watering or rain. The deer and rabbits are staying away this year .

[kittyvine]

6 foot high fence works best here in Oregon, at least.

[WoodlandT]

I’ve found a very unsatisfying partial “solution” to deer destroying my ornamentals. Plant natives. In years past the deer have severely damaged many of my plants. Early this spring I planted a whole bunch of native plants. The deer have pretty much destroyed all of them. This is not a good thing because I want these natives to survive and thrive. But they have more or less ignored the rest of my plants. Next year I’m going to plant a whole bunch of fireweed in large patches. That has been their number one target. Hopefully that will offer a distraction from my other natives that I’m trying to get some size on

[emkn]

Definitely never say never…my hellebores get obliterated if I don’t protect them over winter.

[larakalevra]

Do aconitums not thrive in Ohio? They are 100% truly deer resistant and absolutely gorgeous, long-lived and maintenance free plants that come in quite a few colours and growth habits.