Japanese Painted Fern
Ferns are a good choice for a deer proof garden. I grow about 15 varieties of hardy outdoor ferns and the deer seldom touch them. My favorite fern is the Japanese Painted Fern (pictured here) which has beautiful silver and burgandy coloring.
Ferns thrive in moist shady conditions. They will also grow in dry shade but will not be as lush.
Here is a list of ferns that are reliably deer proof in the landscape.
| Common Name |
Latin Name |
| Christmas Fern |
Polystichum arcostichoides |
| Cinnamon Fern |
Osmunda cinnamomea |
| Hayscented Fern |
Dennstaedtia punctilobula |
| Holly Fern |
Cyrtomium falcatum |
| Japanese Painted Fern |
Athyrium goeringianum (nipponicum) |
| New York Fern |
Thelyptens noveboracensis |
| Ostrich Fern |
Matteuccia struthiopteris |
| Royal Fern |
Osmunda regalis |
| Sensitive Fern |
Onoclea sensibilis |
| Wood Fern |
Dryopteris marginalis |
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
To find out what is deer proof in your neighbourhood, look at your neighbours’ landscapes. Are there any particular plants that the deer tend to leave alone? That will give you a good idea of what the deer will leave alone in your neighbourhood. Ask around and see if there is a general consensus among your neighbours before investing in a particular plant.
And even still, there’s no guarantee when it comes to those fickle deer. I’ll give you an example: my neighbour across the street has a gorgeous 10 foot tall Beauty Bush that suffers virtually no deer damage. You’d think I’d be safe planting a Beauty Bush, right? Think again. Any leafy growth on my poor little Beauty Bush gets nibbled back almost as fast as it appears. I’ve now got it wired off and will leave it that way for a few years to let it gain some height.
Another important issue to consider is where do the deer travel? Look around for deer pathways, and try to avoid planting any “borderline” plants directly on their route. Deer are creatures of habit, thus they tend to travel the same pathways.
For example, I can grow the North American native plan salal (Gaultheria shallon) in most areas of my landscape, except for a certain pathway that the deer travel everyday. Any salal along that route gets nibbled, especially the tender new growth.
Here is a complete list of deer resistant plants.
Boxwood: deer proof evergreen shrub
Is boxwood deer proof? The answer is “yes”.
Keep in mind, though, that if deer have the run of a property, they will taste just about anything new that appears. As one writer remarked: “They’re in the restaurant and they’re going to try the entire smorgasbord.”
Boxwood is a slow-growing evergreen deer proof shrub. It can be grown “natural” (see photo of untrimmed boxwood shrub below) or trimmed into a variety of shapes (see photo of trimmed boxwood).
Boxwood is available in most local nurseries. If you prefer mail order, reputable mail order nurseries for shrubs include Rare Find Nursery, Fairweather Gardens, and Roslyn Nursery.
Generally speaking, boxwoods are slow growing. However, there are different varieties and some grow faster than others. Check with your nursery staff.
Untrimmed boxwood
Boxwood trimmed into a shape
Deer repellents are basically anything that deer don’t like to smell or taste. One of the best tips in this short video on deer repellents is that deer get used to any repellent – so change your products from time to time. Also, deer repellents wear off so you need to reapply, especially after a rain. Or you could do what I do and forget about deer repellents and just concentrate on planting things that the deer don’t eat or can’t reach!
This video is hosted by well-known New England meteorologist and horticulturist David Epstein, from
www.GrowingWisdom.com.