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Monday - April 16, 2007

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Deer resistant, shade tolerant plants for Austin, TX
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I am looking for plants to put in my front yard--very shaded, and need to be deer resistant. I would love some things in the blue family. Also want blues in my back yard that is a combination of full sun and some areas would be under oak trees.

ANSWER:

Although no plants can be considered to be deer proof, there are some that are deer resistant. This doesn't mean that in times of stress the deer won't find those deer resistant plants tasty as well. Many of those plants in the mint family (Family Lamianceae) such as the Salvia spp. and Stachys coccinea tend to be deer resistant since they usually are rather aromatic. Other plants not in the mint family also are deer resistant. Luckily, there are several choices for ones with blue flowers that do well in partial shade and ones that do well in mostly sun.

Shade plants with blue flowers:

Salvia engelmannii (Engelmann's sage)

Salvia lyrata (lyreleaf sage)

Salvia texana (Texas sage)

Shade plants with flowers other than blue:

Salvia coccinea (blood sage)

Salvia roemeriana (cedar sage)

Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida (Dakota mock vervain)

Tetraneuris scaposa (four-nerve daisy)

Stachys coccinea (scarlet hedgenettle)

Sun plants with blue flowers:

Salvia farinacea (mealycup sage)

Sun plants with flowers other than blue: