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
Thursday - January 19, 2012
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Deer Resistant
Title: Central Texas plants highly deer resistant from Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I'm helping a friend who has a severe deer problem in Westlake. The Deer Resistant list includes over 300 species, but they are classified as "mild" or "moderate" or "high" Deer Resistance. Is there anyway to get a list sorted that only has the High Deer Resistant plants? Thanks,ANSWER:
You are correct, the plants that mention any resistance to deer at all will even include those with "minimal resistance," on our Deer Resistant List. Please read again this paragraph from the list of Deer Resistant Plants:
"Few plants are completely deer resistant. Several factors influence deer browsing including the density of the deer population, environmental conditions such as drought, and plant palatability. Deer tend to avoid plants with aromatic foliage, tough leathery and/or hairy or prickly leaves or plants with milky latex or sap. Try using some of the plants listed here to minimize deer damage to your landscape."
What they are saying is that if chidren are hungry enough, they will eat vegetables, and if deer are hungry enough they will eat your shoelaces if you don't keep moving. We have noted that various prairie grasses tend not to be browsed as much as blooming plants. Also, many of the members of the Asclepias, milkweed, genus have the milky latex that deer do not like. Here is a list of 47 plants that are qualified as "Highly Resistant" and native to Central Texas. Follow each plant link to our webpage on this plant to learn when it blooms, what soil it needs, water, etc.
Amorpha fruticosa (Indigo bush)
Andropogon gerardii (Big bluestem)
Andropogon glomeratus (Bushy bluestem)
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii (Flame acanthus)
Asclepias incarnata (Swamp milkweed)
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterflyweed)
Asclepias viridis (Green antelopehorn)
Bauhinia lunarioides (Anacacho orchid tree)
Bouteloua curtipendula (Sideoats grama)
Chrysactinia mexicana (Damianita)
Dasylirion texanum (Texas sotol)
Eryngium leavenworthii (Leavenworth's eryngo)
Hesperaloe parviflora (Red yucca)
Hilaria belangeri var. belangeri (Curly-mesquite)
Lantana urticoides (Texas lantana)
Leucophyllum frutescens (Cenizo)
Mahonia swaseyi (Texas barberry)
Mahonia trifoliolata (Agarita)
Melampodium leucanthum (Blackfoot daisy)
Mimosa borealis (Fragrant mimosa)
Monarda citriodora (Lemon beebalm)
Monarda fistulosa (Wild bergamot)
Muhlenbergia lindheimeri (Lindheimer's muhly)
Muhlenbergia reverchonii (Seep muhly)
Nolina texana (Texas sacahuista)
Oenothera speciosa (Pink evening primrose)
Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)
Passiflora lutea (Yellow passion vine)
Phacelia congesta (Blue curls)
Pistacia mexicana (Mexican pistachio)
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Ratibida columnifera (Mexican hat)
Rhus aromatica (Fragrant sumac)
Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed susan)
Salvia coccinea (Scarlet sage)
Salvia engelmannii (Engelmann's sage)
Salvia farinacea (Mealy blue sage)
Salvia roemeriana (Cedar sage)
Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii (Western soapberry)
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little bluestem)
Senna roemeriana (Twoleaf senna)
Sophora secundiflora (Texas mountain laurel)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)
Ungnadia speciosa (Mexican buckeye)
From the Image Gallery
More Deer Resistant Questions
Keeping deer and rabbits out of plants
June 23, 2007 - Are there plants that are both deer- and rabbit-resistant? Something is eating the plants that the deer seem to leave alone--snipping off the flowers at the top of the stems (ie, zinnias and plumbago...
view the full question and answer
Deer-resistant groundcover under pine trees
June 07, 2008 - what kind of ground covering can be planted under pine trees (acid soil) that the deer will not eat and will not attract bees?
view the full question and answer
Deer-resistant groundcover for sunny hillside in California
November 17, 2009 - we are looking for a deer resistant, drought resistant ground cover that we can grow from seed. we have a large,partial sunny hillside, well drained,that is cover with oak leaves and pine needles..and...
view the full question and answer
Lupines for attracting deer in South Carolina
April 06, 2007 - I live in SC and was watching a TV show called "Making it Grow" and they did a segment on Lupine. The lady on the show said that the plant attracted whitetail deer and I was wondering if that was t...
view the full question and answer
Additional screening under yaupons in Georgetown TX
November 09, 2011 - We live on a corner and have a berm along the south side of our yard which blocks our backyard from the street. It was planted with uprights yaupons. With the drought, deer have eaten the bottom por...
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. |
