Native Plants
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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.
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Thursday - April 17, 2008
From: New York, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Privacy Screening
Title: Deer-resistant screening tree/shrub
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Can you recommend a deer resistant screening tree/shrub? We would like to use privet but are not sure which variety or if the deer will really stay off it, we've had conflicting views! We live on the east end of Long Island, New York.ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants would definitely NOT recommend any kind of privet (Ligustrum sp.). They are non-native and very invasive, competing with and displacing native plant species.Here are some alternatives that are native and deer resistant, It should be noted that deer-resistant doesn't mean deer-proof. If environmental conditions have decreased their normal food supply, deer may eat plants that they normally find distasteful.
Evergreens
Andromeda polifolia (bog rosemary)
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) (Note: This shrub/trees is moderately deer-resistant, but probably less so than the others on the list.)
Mahonia aquifolium (hollyleaved barberry)
Deciduous
Calycanthus floridus (eastern sweetshrub)
Cornus sericea (redosier dogwood)
Hamamelis virginiana (American witchhazel)
Rhus aromatica (fragrant sumac)
Sambucus racemosa (red elderberry)
Viburnum prunifolium (blackhaw)
Viburnum dentatum (southern arrowwood)
You can see the deer resistance rating for a large number of plants from Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station as well as another list of Deer Resistant Plants by Scientific Name.
You can see other native plants that grow well in New York on our New York Recommended page.
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