Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Monday - April 28, 2008
From: Kerrville, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Deer Resistant
Title: Fast-growing, deer resistant native plants for Kerrville, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I'm looking for a plant that will spread quickly and thickly on a very steep slope. The area to be covered is 60'long x 5'high and is crumbly limestone with full sun and very dry. We have a large herd of whitetail deer that travel through the yard several times each day, eating everything in sight, even the highly deer-resistant plants, so this plant would have to be something that they REALLY don't like.ANSWER:
Okay, first you're going to have some supplemental reading. From our Recommended Species Special Collections "Just for Texans" here is a list of 345 plants, Deer Resistant Plants, considered to be somewhat distasteful to deer. Another list, from the Rutgers Experimental Station, has a list of plants rated by their resistance to deer browsing. And, finally, a list from the West Virginia Extension Service on Resistance of Ornamentals to Deer Damage. You do, we're sure, understand that there is virtually nothing, except maybe the doghouse, that deer will not eat if they are hungry enough. When there has been a dry spell and a lot of the natural browse has disappeared, the deer know where to go for a nice buffet, and it's called gardens. The deer do seem to stay away from aromatic plants, and rough foliage or stickers and thorns are also not on their favorites list. We are going to go through the Texas list from our Native Plant Database and select some herbaceous perennials, shrubs and grasses or grass-like plants, suitable for your part of Texas, that might work for you. You will have to make the decision, based on your individual layout, whether to try one plant covering the whole area, or a mix, sort of a desert meadow, if you will. Remember, if you stick to just one plant, and you happen to have a group of deer who love that plant, you are foiled. We recommend a mix, tall, short, etc. and if one plant doesn't make it, there will be others to fill in its space. Follow each plant link and read the information, including how resistant it is to deer. When you have made some plant decisions, here are some Native Plant Suppliers in the Kerrville area who can give you assistance in finding the plants you need.
HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS
Asclepias asperula (spider milkweed)
Allium drummondii (Drummond's onion)
Phyla nodiflora (turkey tangle fogfruit)
Vernonia lindheimeri (woolly ironweed)
SHRUBS
Chrysactinia mexicana (damianita)
Dasylirion wheeleri (common sotol)
Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas barometer bush)
Mahonia trifoliolata (agarita)
GRASSES OR GRASS-LIKE PLANTS
Nassella tenuissima (finestem needlegrass)
Nolina lindheimeriana (devil's shoestring)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)
More Deer Resistant Questions
Shade Tolerant, Deer Resistant, Evergreen Hedge Suggestions for CT
April 30, 2013 - I think I am asking for a lot, but here we go… Is there a deer tolerant evergreen that can grow in the shade and create a hedge of 5 feet tall here in CT? I am not opposed to ivy covering a fence if t...
view the full question and answer
Deer-resistant groundcovers for erosion control
September 26, 2012 - I need a ground cover (vine??) that will help me with erosion on a sloped front yard. It gets about 6-8 hours of sun and my main need is for something that the rats in our neighborhood will not destro...
view the full question and answer
Are birdhouse gourds deer-resistant?
January 24, 2009 - Bird house gourds: they smell nasty (to this human being) but I NEED to know if deer are as repelled as a human by the strong odor put off by the plants.
view the full question and answer
Pruning Holly after Deer Browse
January 16, 2010 - Deer have been eating my Holly Bushes. Can I prune now in January? I live in the North of New Jersey. Will they come back fuller? I just planted them in spring last year. How can I get them fuller
view the full question and answer
Deer Damage to Pencil Holly in Michigan
March 15, 2011 - I have 5 sky pencil holly bushes that are about 3 feet tall each..they don't grow very fast. I was looking forward to them reaching the 7 feet mark one day, as they are going to serve as a screen be...
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
