Home - Garden
Plants That
Keep Away
Deer
By ROGER ADLER
There are many strategies to contend with deer who munch on your garden plants, including adding barriers, noise-makers, motion-activated sprinklers, and chemical repellents. However, a more natural approach involves using plants that are highly aromatic, toxic, sharp, or spiny.
Deer have a strong sense of smell, so aromatic herbs, fragrant flowers, and vegetables like chives, onions, and leeks will help deter them. Another option is to place mint plants near those a deer is likely to assault, such as roses, sunflowers, geraniums, and more.
Daffodils, poppies, and foxgloves are toxic to deer, while horseradish, tarragon, wild ginger, thyme, and basil are simply deer-resistant. You can also choose to grow plants that deer simply don’t care to eat, such as ginkgo, oak, magnolia, spruce, and mountain laurel.
Place your defensive plants around the perimeter of your yard, in areas where deer are apt to enter, or spread throughout the garden. You can also wind vines around fences or rub fragrant oils on rocks to protect deer-attracting plants.