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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

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.

Search Smarty Plants

See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

rate this answer

7 ratings

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)