Have you ever felt the heartbreak of sowing your seeds indoors, transplanting them outdoors, and finally, when they’re just about ready to harvest, they’ve already been harvested! By you know who!? Those cute little deer that have been trotting around the neighbourhood! Who can blame them? Your hard work showed and was genuinely inviting. Don’t worry. We’re here to help your hard work in the garden stand proud. In this article, we’ll help you deter deer from your plants in a few easy steps.
Deer Favourites
The first thing to understand is what attracted the deer to your garden in the first place? It wasn’t the cucumbers, was it? No, they’re too prickly! They were more likely attracted to one of the following plants. It’s essential to take note of all the plants you have that we know deer love so we can do everything possible to protect them.
| Flowering: | Edible: | Trees & Foliage: |
| Knock Out Roses | Beets | Apple Trees |
| Daylily | Cabbage | Arborvitae |
| Pansies | Apples | Cherry Trees |
| Azaleas | Beans | Hostas |
| Chicory | Broccoli | Yew |
| Impatiens | Leafy Greens | Chervil |
| Red Clover | Sweet Corn | Fennel |
| Cosmos | Sweet Potatoes | Fir |
| Sunflowers | Plums | Orchard Grass |
| Gerbera | Strawberries | Chestnut Trees |
Deer Deterrents
Now that we know what brought the deer to your garden, it’s time to do everything we can to protect the plants we love! Here are a few ways to disguise the deer favourites in your garden, keeping the deer busy elsewhere.
Natural Remedies
If chemicals aren’t an option for you and your garden, a few natural ways have been said to work for deterring deer. Give one of the following natural remedies a shot if you’re looking for a natural-only DIY approach to saving your plants from snacking deer.
- Chilli powder – Sprinkle chilli powder on your plants to not only disguise their scent but disguise their taste as well!
- Irish Spring Soap – If you don’t mind, the esthetic, hanging bars of Irish Spring have been proven to work at disguising deer favourites with their pungent aroma.
- Fabric Softener Sheets – Like soap, they hide the smell of some deer favourites in your yard.
- Hair/Fur – Scattered or tied in mesh bags. It is said that the scent of a predator will keep deer at a safe distance!
- Companion Planting – When planting, research what plants grow best together! Some great companion plants are used to disguise one another from predators like deer, beetles and more.
Deer Repellent
Not all deer repellents are chemical based. Deer Repellent has come a long way to ensure that the safety of ourselves, the deer and our plants are the top priority. If shopping for deer repellent, we recommend using Bobbex Deer Repellent. Bobbex offers an all-natural approach that is environmentally safe. It can be used on most sensitive plantings, trees, shrubs, seedlings and more. This repellent won’t wash off for weeks during the growing season and can last even longer during dormancy.
Deer Dislikes!
Our favourite way to ensure that the deer won’t be coming over for breakfast, lunch or dinner, is to grow plants they don’t like! Surprisingly enough, deer can be picky eaters and if they don’t smell anything good growing at your place, they’ll move right along! Knowing this, we’ve been growing deer-resistant plants for years and we’re here to share a few of our favourites with you to ensure all your hard work goes noticed and not nibbled!
Deer Resistant Bulbs
| Botanical Name | Common Name |
| Allium | Ornamental Onion |
| Amaryllis | |
| Chionodoxa | Glory-of-the-snow |
| Colchicum | Autumn crocus |
| Crocus | |
| Eranthus hyemalis | Winter Aconite |
| Fritillaria | |
| Galanthus | Snowdrops |
| Hyacinth | |
| Leucojum | Summer Snowflake |
| Muscari | Grape Hyacinth |
| Narcissus | Daffodil |
| Scilla | |
| Zantedeschia aethipica | Hardy Calla Lily |
Deer Resistant Annuals
| Botanical Name | Common Name |
| Ageratum | Floss Flower |
| Antirrhinum majus | Snapdragon |
| Arctotis | |
| Argyranthemum | Marguerites |
| Bacopa | |
| Begonia | Tuberous Begonia |
| Calendula officinalis | English Marigold |
| Centaurea cineraria
(Centaurea gymnocarpa) |
Dusty Miller |
| Centaurea cyanus | Bachelor’s buttons, Cornflower |
| Clarkia | |
| Cleome hassleriana | Spider Flower |
| Consolida ambigua | Larkspur |
| Coreopsis | Tickseed |
| Cosmos | |
| Dianthus | Pinks, Carnations |
| Diascia | Twinspur |
| Erigeron | Fleabane |
| Erysimum | Wallflower |
| Euryops | Yellow Bush Daisy |
| Gaillardia | Blanket Flower |
| Gazania | |
| Helichrysum | Strawflowers |
| Helichrysum italicum,
H. angustifolium |
Curry Plant (not the cooking spice) |
| lberis | Candytuft |
| Lamium | False Salvia, Deadnettle |
| Lantana | Latan Palm |
| Matthiola | Stock |
| Monarda | Bergamots |
| Myosotis | Forget-me-not |
| Nicotiana | Flowering Tobacco |
| Oenothera | Evening Primrose |
| Osteospermum | |
| Papaver | Poppy |
| Pelargonium | Geranium |
| Salvia | Sage |
| Santolina | |
| Senecio cineraria | Dusty Miller |
| Sisyrinchium | Blue-eyed Grass |
| Tagetes | French Marigolds |
Deer Resistant Perennials
| Botanical Name | Common Name |
| Acanthus mollis | Bear’s Breeches |
| Achillea | Yarrow |
| Aconitum | Monkshood |
| Agapanthus | African Lily |
| Agastache | Anise Hyssop |
| Ajuga | |
| Alchemilla | Lady’s Mantle |
| Anaphalis | Pearly Everlasting |
| Anemone x hybrida | Windflower |
| Aquilegia | Columbine |
| Arabis | Rock Cress |
| Armeria | Thrift |
| Artemesia Lactiflora | Wormwood |
| Asarum caudatum | Wild Ginger |
| Aster | |
| Astilbe | |
| Aubrieta | |
| Aurinia saxatilis | Alyssum Saxatile |
| Ballota | Cuban Oregano |
| Belamcanda chinensis | Leopard Lily |
| Brunnera macrophylla | Brunnera |
| Campanula | Bellfower |
| Centaurea macrocephala | Globe Cornflower, Basket Flower |
| Cerastium tomentosum | Snow-in-Summer |
| Cheiranthus | Wallflower |
| Chrysanthemum | Hardy Chrysanthemum |
| Convallaria majalis | Lily-of-the-Valley |
| Crocosmia | |
| Cyclamen | |
| Dahlia | |
| Delphinium | Larkspur |
| Dicentra | Bleeding Heart |
| Dierama | Angel’s Fishing Rod |
| Digitalis | Foxglove |
| Dracocephalum | Dragon’s Head |
| Echinacea | Coneflower |
| Echinops | Globe Thistle |
| Epimedium | Barrenwort |
| Eriophyllum lanatum Native | Woolly Sunflower |
| Eryngium amethystinum | Sea Holly |
| Erysimum | Wallflower |
| Eschscholzia | California Poppy |
| Euphorbia | Wood Spurge |
| Galium odoratum | Sweet Woodruff |
| Gaillardia | Blanket Flower |
| Gentiana | Gentian |
| Geranium x cantabrigiense | Cranesbill |
| Geranium macrorrhizum | Big Root Geranium |
| Geum | |
| Gunnera manicata | Giant Rhubarb, Chilian Rhurbarb |
| Gypsophilia paniculata | Baby’s Breath |
| Helleborus | Hellebore |
| Hesperis matronalis | Dame’s Rocket |
| lberis | Candytuft |
| Iris, esp. bearded types | Bearded Iris |
| Iris pseudacorus | Yellow Flag Iris |
| Kniphofia | Red-hot Poker, Torch
Lily |
| Lamium | False Salvia,
Deadnettle |
| Lavendula | Lavender |
| Leucanthemum superbum | Shasta Daisy |
| Liatris spicata | Blazing Star, Gay Feather |
| Linaria | Toadflax |
| Liriope | Lilyturf |
| Lithodora diffusa | |
| Lobelia cardinalis | Cardinal Flower |
| Lupinus | Lupine |
| Lychnis | Campions |
| Monarda | Bergamots |
| Myosotis | Forget-me-not |
| Nepeta | Catmint, Catnip |
| Nicotiana | Flowering Tobacco |
| Oenothera | Evening Primrose |
| Origanum | Oregano, Marjoram, Sweet Marjoram |
| Oxalis | Sorrel |
| Pachysandra | Japanese Spurge |
| Phlomis | Jerusalem Sage |
| Paeonia | Peony |
| Papaver | Poppy |
| Penstemon | |
| Perovskia | Russian Sage |
| Phlox subulata | Creeping Phlox, Moss Phlox |
| Polemonium | Jacob’s Ladder |
| Polygonatum | Solomon’s Seal |
| Pulmonaria | Lungwort |
| Rheum acuminatum | Ornamental Rhubarb |
| Romneya coulteri | California Tree Poppy |
| Rudbeckia fulgida | Black-eyed Susan |
| Ruta graveolens | Jackman’s Rue |
| Salvia | Sage |
| Scabiosa | |
| Sempervivum | Hen and Chicks |
| Sisyrinchium | Blue-eyed Grass |
| Solidago | Goldenrod |
| Stachys byzantina | Lamb’s Ears |
| Stylophorum diphyllum | Celandine Poppy |
| Thalictrun | Meadow Rue |
| Tiarella | Foam Flower |
| Tibouchina | Princess Flower |
| Tradescantias | Spiderwort |
| Verba scum | Mullein |
| Veronica | Speedwell |
| Vinca major | Periwinkle |
| Viola ordorata | Sweet Violet |
| Zantedeschia aethiopica | Calla Lily |
| Zauchchneria | California Fuchia |
For our full list of deer-resistant plants, click here! Need more inspiration for growing deer-resistant plants? Check out the latest episode of Get Up and Grow, What You Need To Know About Deer Resistant Plants below!
