Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Wednesday - March 24, 2010
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Deer Resistant
Title: Deer-resistant Texas native flowers and bushes from Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
What are some Texas native flowers and bushes that are deer resistant?ANSWER:
If you promise to remember that "deer-resistant" does not mean "deer-proof", we will suggest a list of plants that deer won't eat unless they are really hungry, which they usually are. We will go to our Special Collections and look at Deer Resistant Plants. On that list, we will narrow our search by selecting first for Texas, and then "herb" (herbaceous blooming plant) under General Appearance. This produced 163 possibilities, from which we selected a sampling. Next, search the same list, again with Texas and this time with "shrub" under General Appearance. This produces a list of 63 plants. Deer also don't much care for grasses, so a search for grasses and grass-like plants would yield 41 results. You can run a search yourself, specifying the amount of sun available, soil moisture, and whether you want perennials or annuals. Follow each link to the page in our Native Plant Database on that plant to learn more about characteristics, benefits and propagation. Finally, we checked the USDA Plant Profile on each plant we selected to make sure it would grow well in the Austin area.
Deer-resistant flowering plants for Austin:
Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana (Hinckley's golden columbine) - to 3 ft. tall, semi-evergreen, blooms yellow April and May, medium water use, part shade, shade
Argemone albiflora (bluestem pricklypoppy) - 3 ft. tall, blooms white March to July, low water use, part shade
Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) - 1-3 ft., deciduous,blooms orange, yellow May to September, low water use, sun or part shade
Berlandiera lyrata (lyreleaf greeneyes) - 1 to 2 ft., blooms yellow April to November, low water use, sun or part shade
Capsicum annuum (cayenne pepper) - 1 to 3 ft., blooms white May to October, low water use, sun, part shade or shade
Callirhoe involucrata (purple poppymallow) - 1 to 3 ft., evergreen, blooms white, pink, purple March to June, medium water use, sun or part shade
Coreopsis tinctoria (golden tickseed) - 1 - 2 ft., blooms yellow, brown April to June, high water use, sun or part shade
Eryngium leavenworthii (Leavenworth's eryngo) - to 3 ft. tall, blooms blue, purple July to September, low water use, sun or part shade
Deer-resistant shrubs for Austin:
Amorpha fruticosa (desert false indigo) - 6 to 10 ft., deciduous, blooms orange, blue, purple, violet April to June, low water use, sun or part shade
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii (Wright's desert honeysuckle) - 3 to 5 ft., deciduous, blooms red, orange June to October, low water use, sun or part shade
Chrysactinia mexicana (damianita) - 1 to 2 ft., evergreen, blooms yellow April to September, low water use, sun
Larrea tridentata (creosote bush) - 3 to 5 ft., evergreen, blooms yellow March to September, low water use, part shade
Deer-resistant grasses and grass-like plants for Austin:
Chasmanthium latifolium (Inland sea oats) - 2 to 4 ft., deciduous, medium water use, sun or part shade
Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye) - 2 to 4 ft., deciduous, medium water use, sun or part shade
Muhlenbergia capillaris (hairawn muhly) - 1 to 3 ft., high water use, sun
Nolina texana (Texas sacahuista) - 1 to 3 ft., evergreen, blooms white, green March to July, low water use, part shade
From our Native Plant Image Gallery:
More Deer Resistant Questions
Deer proof ground cover for sunny area in Mississippi
June 09, 2012 - I am looking for a low ground cover that will thrive in a sunny location and is deer proof
view the full question and answer
Native grasses and wildflowers to attract butterflies in Blanco Co., TX
February 23, 2005 - Could you please recommend (native, xeriscape, deer resistant) grasses and flowers that attract butterflies that can be grown in Blanco County?
view the full question and answer
Not deer eating the Eve's necklace in San Marcos TX
June 16, 2011 - Dear Mr SP,
Re: the Eve's necklace being eaten.
I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you in my original question which you were kind enough to answer with the speed of lightening, but I am on the East...
view the full question and answer
Are there plants that are resistant to axis deer?
November 07, 2013 - Greetings!
I live about 10 miles south of Kerrville, Texas, toward Medina. I wish to begin planting more natives on a plot we have recently purchased. Some plants will go inside a fence that deer...
view the full question and answer
Non-native mimosa as deer food in Colerain, NC
June 20, 2009 - I was wondering if deer eat any part of the mimosa tree? I have three good sized trees in my yard with seedlings popping up everywhere. Would it be profitable to transplant for deer habitat?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |