The Indiscriminate Diner

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Photo by Scott Carroll/Unsplash

When a backyard becomes a suburban smorgasbord for grazing deer, a gardener’s soft spot for nature can harden into resentment. Brokering a relationship with wildlife that loves ornamental plants as much as we do requires some understanding and ingenuity.

“Deer are opportunistic eaters,” explains Carol Heiser, wildlife habitat education coordinator at the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. “If they are hungry enough and presented with easily accessible ornamental plants in a residential setting, they will pick and choose the plants best suited to their needs. There is no such thing as a deer resistant plant,” she says. “It’s a myth.” Heiser offers a hierarchy of strategies to deter deer, from careful plant selection to repellents and physical barriers that simply make residential plantings less accessible or desirable. “Deer are creatures of habit,” she explains. “Simply encouraging them to change their habits can help.”

1. A motion-activated sprinkler system is an unobtrusive option that simply startles deer into avoidance; a row of toy pinwheels works the same way.
2. Surround plants with wire insulation hangers or wire flags to interfere with grazing. An unexpected bump on the nose is intimidating. Protect the trunks of young saplings by encasing them in plastic tubing or wire cages.
3. “In general, deer are less likely to browse right up against a house or where dogs or people frequently move about,” Heiser notes.
4. Careful plant selection is key. Woody ornamentals like boxwood for instance, are rarely damaged by deer.
5. Grow preferred species inside a protective ring of less appealing plants.
6. “Some native plant species may have adaptations that make them less desirable to deer,” Heiser says, “but if the deer density is high in your area, deer will likely browse native plants as well.”
7. Deer show little interest in medicinal plants, aromatic herbs or fragrant flowers, which offend their keen sense of smell.
8. Reduce the appeal of a plant by applying a chemical deer repellent that emits an offensive odor, or distasteful plant compounds like hot pepper. Best applied at the beginning of the growing season and reapplied regularly to maintain effectiveness.
9. Apply a commercially available fertilizer called Milorganite, made by the city of Milwaukee from heat-dried microbes which have digested the organic matter in municipal wastewater.
10. The most obvious and effective deterrent is fencing. Because hungry deer can clear surprising heights, Heiser recommends a 10-foot barrier made out of wood or wire and fortified with electricity if necessary. Stretching black plastic mesh between a pair of poles creates a more affordable and aesthetically pleasing shield that can be erected in a double row to confuse deer and discourage jumping.

Deer are adaptable by nature. Over time, any of these solutions may become less effective as they grow accustomed to a perceived threat. If a deer is hungry, persistent or bold enough, they will help themselves to even the most unappetizing options.