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
Related posts:
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for this. I was wondering if boxwood was deer proof, and your article has answered my question.
Deer have eaten all my boxwood to nubbins. I think the plants may still be alive (some of the sticks they left are green) so I dug them up and put them closer to the house so I can treat them more frequently.
blood meal does help with repelling them, but not voles, which eat all my tulip bulbs.
@Dymphna, I’m sorry to hear that about your boxwood. Just goes to prove that it’s hard to predict what will be deer resistant 100% of the time. What a shame about your boxwood. Try putting a barrier (netting or wire) around them until they get bigger. Some things are more deer resistant once the new growth has hardened off. That’s what I’ve found in my landscape with leafy evergreen plants such as salal.
By the way, they DON’ T eat rosemary…the name above reminded me.
This spring I’m growing lettuce on the porch until I can put up an electric fence.