
What plants are resistant to deer?
The easiest option may be to choose plants that are naturally deer-resistant like: Hellebores, Lamb's Ear, Blue Spruce, most ferns and many ornamental grasses.For more gardening tips, watch Sunday Gardener on 11 News Sunday Morning at 9 a.m. COCKEYSVILLE ...
Is boxwood hard to grow?
These shrubs are somewhat slow-growing, with firm, thick leaves that are on the small side. It can take several years for a boxwood to reach mature size: something to keep in mind if trying to grow them into hedges. Most boxwoods range in color from yellow-green to dark green, and usually don't have blue-green tones.
What is the hardiest boxwood?
insularis are considered the hardiest of all boxwood. Buxus semper. virens, common box, is hardy to zone 6 (Krussmann 1984) and has a greater stature than the preceding species. The large, dark green leaves remain evergreen all year. Click to see full answer.
Are boxwood bushes deer resistant?
Green Mountain Boxwood (Buxus X ‘Green Mountain’) is a naturally deer-resistant evergreen shrub that makes for an excellent year-round hedge. Green Mountain Boxwood shrubs upright and naturally conical habit makes it popular both among topiary fans and those merely wanting a uniquely shaped border in their outdoor space.

Which boxwood is most deer resistant?
While no plant is ever entirely safe from deer, the following selections usually escape damage in all but the leanest of times. Common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) has long been a favorite shrub for hedges, and it is one of the most deer-tolerant plants for gardens.
Will deer eat Japanese boxwood?
Boxwood (Buxus) As a bonus, boxwoods contain alkaloids that are distasteful to deer.
What is the most deer resistant shrub?
Tallest Deer Resistant Shrubs1. Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica)Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)Common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)Inkberry (Ilex glabra)Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis)Spireas (Spirea species)More items...•
What's the difference between boxwood and Japanese boxwood?
The English/American boxwood differs from the Japanese/Korean boxwoods in many ways, but the easiest way to tell is that the tip of the leaf is pointed, while Asian boxwoods have a rounded point with a small indentation at the very tip (like the shape of a rounded "W").
What is the most deer resistant evergreen?
The Thuja Green Giant is the most popular selling and fastest growing privacy evergreen. With disease and pest resistance and amazingly fast growth rates that can even exceed 5 feet per year you can't go wrong with this hardy tree.
What type of plants do deer not eat?
Daffodils, foxgloves, and poppies are common flowers with a toxicity that deer avoid. Deer also tend to turn their noses up at fragrant plants with strong scents. Herbs such as sages, ornamental salvias, and lavender, as well as flowers like peonies and bearded irises, are just “stinky” to deer.
Do deer like hydrangeas?
Deer love to graze on the leaves, flowers, and tender tips of hydrangeas.
Do deer like hostas?
Unfortunately, deer love to eat hosta and it is one of their favorite plants to eat. According to Rutgers University this plant is Frequently Severely Damaged on their rating scale from Rarely Damaged to Frequently Severely Damaged. When deer eat hosta, they eat the foliage of the leaves and leave behind the stems.
Do rabbits eat boxwood?
Although rabbits usually avoid boxwood, they may eat it in times of scarcity. Depending on the amount of rainfall that year and on variations in temperature, food that rabbits prefer may be less available. If they seek out boxwood as a food source, they may go after the younger, more tender leaves and shoots.
Which is better Japanese Boxwood or wintergreen boxwood?
Wintergreen boxwood is more cold hardy than the Japanese cultivar, and can be grown in Zones 4-9. Wintergreen is better at keeping its dark green color all winter, too. The flowers of wintergreen boxwood are yellowish green, but, like the Korean variety, inconspicuous and of little interest.
Is Japanese Boxwood fast growing?
Japanese boxwoods look very similar to Korean boxwoods (Buxus sinica), and both are extremely popular because they are fast growing and can tolerate heavy frosts much better than English and American ones. They also are more compact and can grow to about 8 feet tall and about 6 feet wide.
How far apart do I plant Japanese boxwoods?
For tall hedges, place them a little farther apart; closer together for lower hedges. Japanese boxwood spacing should be at least 5-6 feet apart. Space the plants with enough room to grow to full maturity. Boxwood hedge spacing is important for keeping the plants to their full size and density.
What animal is eating my boxwood?
Boxwood Spider Mites Mites feed on a number of plants, and Boxwoods are no exception. Their saliva is toxic to plant tissues and causes the yellow stippling you see in this picture. As mite populations increase Boxwoods will lose color and leaves will prematurely drop.
Do deer eat Japanese maples?
Hardiness classifications list Japanese maples as deer resistant. So on the surface, deer do not eat Japanese maple trees. But, it is not always the case. If your Japanese maples are native to the location, there's a high chance your local deer population may develop an affinity for their taste.
Are dwarf boxwoods deer resistant?
Dwarf Variegated Boxwood will maintain it's bright color even in more shady areas....Dwarf Variegated BoxwoodBuxus Sempervirens Suffruticosa Dwarf Variegated Shrubs - Deer ResistantFoliage ColorYellow, White, Medium Green, Dark Green12 more rows
Are Korean boxwood deer resistant?
Boxwoods are drought tolerant and Japanese beetle and deer resistant. However, it is possible that your plants will be attacked by mites, scale, leaf miners, mealybugs, or webworms. Keep a lookout for yellowing leaves or insect damage.
What is a Japanese boxwood?
Japanese Boxwood (Buxus microphylla) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with small, leathery, glossy green leaves. Also called Littleleaf Boxwood, this species among the most cold-hardy, disease-resistant, and easy-to-grow of all ornamental boxwood.
What type of soil do Japanese boxwoods prefer?
Japanese Boxwood plants are tolerant to varying soil types, but prefer well-draining, loamy soil. They will grow in alkaline soils, but prefer acidic to neutral soil.
How tall does a Japanese boxwood grow?
Most Japanese Boxwood shrubs grow to about 3 feet (1 meter) tall and 3 feet (1 meter) wide, although there are both shorter and taller cultivars available. Littleleaf boxwood plants have dense branches and tend to create a naturally-rounded shape as they grow.
How to treat root rot on boxwood?
The best way to deal with a root rot problem is to avoid having one in the first place. The most important thing is to plant the shrubs in well-draining soil and to not overwater your plants. Boxwood can recover from root rot, but only if the issues with soggy, wet soil are fixed promptly.
How to deal with boxwood blight?
The best way to deal with boxwood blight is to prevent it from entering the landscape. You’ll want to buy your boxwood plants from nurseries that participate in a blight compliance agreement and are considered to be reputable.
What diseases can damage Japanese boxwood?
While the Japanese boxwood is a hardy plant, it can be damaged by various plant diseases and pests, including boxwood psyllid, boxwood leaf minor, boxwood mite, nematodes and phytophthora root rot.
Why are my boxwood leaves turning yellow?
Sometimes the leaves of young Japanese Boxwood plants look yellow-gold in the spring. This is called “bronzing” and is a result of harsh winter conditions.
What is Japanese boxwood?
Description. Japanese boxwood is a fine-textured, loose, and rounded evergreen shrub in the Buxaceae (boxwood) family that grows to 6.5 feet tall. Native to Japan, Buxus is the Latin name for boxwood or box tree. The common name of boxwood refers to the wood used to make carved decorative boxes.
What are the problems with Boxwood?
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant can be challenging to grow. Boxwood mites and leaf miners can affect stressed plants. Blight and leaf spot can affect plants. Root rot occurs in poorly drained soil. Foliage burns in hot summer suns or harsh winter winds.
Can Japanese boxwood be used as a hedge?
Japanese boxwood works well as a specimen or accent in the landscape, and it is also useful in shrub borders or foundation plantings. It is commonly used as edging and in formal hedges so it works well in English or cottage gardens.
What is a Japanese boxwood?
The Japanese Boxwood, Buxus microphylla var. Japonica, is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that provides interest in the landscape all four seasons. These shrubs will have delicate small flowers in April and May, that are greenish-cream in color and do have a nice fragrance for a short time. These are very popular shrubs in the south due to ...
How big do boxwoods get?
These shrubs will grow up to 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide when fully mature. Fertilize in early spring, but not the first year after planting. Keep in mind that many boxwoods are killed by excessive fertilizer applications. We recommend a slow release fertilizer such as a 10-10-10.
Where do littleleaf boxes grow?
Lots of gardeners also grow these in a garden planter for 4 seasons of interest. Of course this plant is native to Japan, but also native to Taiwan. It also also sometimes known as a littleleaf box. If grown in full sun, the leaves will sometimes turn red instead of green. These shrubs are also very deer resistant.
What is the best juniper for deer?
Juniper generally is low maintenance, simply requiring some pruning to control its growth. Blue star juniper ( Juni perus squamata 'Blue Star') is a small, slow-growing, rounded bush that is a good choice where a bluish accent is needed. Meanwhile, blue rug juniper ( Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Rug') often serves as a ground cover on hillsides. For a different look, try the Pfitzer Chinese juniper ( Juniperus chinensis 'Pfitzeriana Glauca'), which is commonly shaped into pom-poms.
What happens if deer eat a tree?
During a cold winter or at other times when natural food sources are low, your landscape can be devastated by deer feeding on shrubs and small trees. Sometimes the damage is merely cosmetic, and the plant can recover. But if the bark is completely stripped from a shrub or tree, that can mean the end of the plant.
How tall does Arrowwood viburnum grow?
This deer-resistant shrub bears reddish fall foliage and bluish berries in addition to white flowers in the spring. It grows to roughly 6 to 10 feet but can get even taller in the right conditions. Prune the shrub once a year after it's done flowering to control its height. This shrub also will spread, so remove its suckers if you want to keep it contained in one area.
Do deer eat roses?
In general, shrub roses are good plants where deer are a problem due to their thorny stems that deer don't like to eat. 1 Candy Oh is a favored variety known for its fragrance and vibrant coloring. It produces beautiful blooms for most of the summer and will attract many pollinators to your garden.
Do boxwoods have leaves?
Boxwoods ( Buxus) are broadleaf evergreens, meaning they have broad leaves like deciduous plants but keep their leaves in the winter. This makes them a very popular choice for hedges. They're fairly low maintenance, except for an annual pruning to maintain their shape and remove unhealthy portions.
Do deer eat evergreens?
There are many possibilities among evergreen species, flowering shrubs, and other specimens that deer aren't likely to munch on. Here are 10 varieties of deer-resistant shrubs.
Is Andromeda a shrub?
Andromeda ( Pieris japonica) is a dense, flowering, deer-resistant shrub. Although it is an evergreen, it looks best in the early spring when its showy flowers bloom and give off a powerful aroma. This smell is what makes deer recoil and avoid eating the plant. This shrub is fairly low maintenance, simply requiring pruning to keep its shape, though it should be protected from cold winter winds.
What is a Pawpaw shrub?
In the garden, it is most commonly used as an understory shrub. The pawpaw also adapts well to open sites, where it can grow into a tall, densely branched tree. It prefers a rich, moist, acid soil and is hardy from Zones 6 to 8. The pawpaw adds an interesting boldness, an almost tropical look, to a garden.
What is the name of the evergreen yew?
Native to Asia, the evergreen, coniferous plum yews ( Cephalotaxus ) closely resemble English and Japanese yews ( Taxus ). They have coarse, one to two inch needles that vary in color from medium to dark glossy green. On female plants, inch-long fleshy cones ripen in autumn from green to olive-brown, looking like small, downward-hanging plums. Plum yews can play much the same role as yews in our landscapes. They may be tightly clipped into attractive formal specimens or left to grow naturally into large, dense screens. As with the yews, they do well in dry, shady sites.
How big are Pawpaw leaves?
The pawpaw adds an interesting boldness, an almost tropical look, to a garden. It has large, simple, mid-green leaves, 6 to 15 inches long, which turn a stunning yellow to coppery red in fall. Its cup-shaped, one to two inch purple flowers appear sparingly in mid-May.
Why are we so besieged by deer?
Clear-cutting for agriculture in the last century contributed to the disappearance of large predators and created ideal browsing habitat for deer, triggering a massive population explosion. Nowadays, the conversion of farmland into residential subdivisions is depriving deer of their traditional food sources. Inadequate culling measures in some states are exacerbating the situation.
Is red cedar deer proof?
Then there's the myth of the "deer-proof" plant. We simply cannot predict the behavior of hungry deer. These ruminants have complex nutritional needs. The more desperate they become, the more likely they are to shift their attention to plants avoided in the past. Such has been the case with the western red cedar ( Thuja plicata ), long hailed as a deer-proof ever green but now on Bambi's bill of fare.
Do deer damage plants?
Over the past few decades, plant damage caused by deer has risen to alarming levels in North American rural and suburban gardens. As a result, many homeowners feel they've no choice but to erect an ugly battery of defenses against invading herds. Where I live in Ohio, gardeners often quip that they have an interesting collection of fences, along with some great plants.
Can deer eat plum yews?
There is another strategy: selecting plants that deer won 't eat. However, here again we encounter problems. It can be difficult, for instance, to acquire some of these plants. Virtually every nursery in the country offers a nice selection of yews ( Taxus ), most of which happen to be relished by deer. But it's rare to find one that sells or knows anything about the plum yews ( Cephalotaxus ), an excellent group of plants that deer generally avoid.
What shrubs are deer resistant?
Despite being toxic when consumed in large amounts, deer love every part of these shrubs (even their flowers), and white-tailed deer particularly enjoy them.
What is the best shrub for deer?
Mountain laurel is great for soils that are slightly acidic, and does best in part shade. 3. Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) If you like the appearance of arborvitae and want a shrub that deer won’t eat, your best bet is Eastern red cedar (although they may still nibble on the lower foliage).
Are flowering almond shrubs deer resistant?
Flowering almond shrubs are cold-tolerant, but their deer resistance is unknown. We’d recommend going with a shrub that has a better record of being resistant to hungry deer.
Are mock orange shrubs deer resistant?
Mock orange shrubs have an intoxicating fragrance, plus, YES, they are deer resistant. They can also tolerate drought and make for a perfect privacy screen.
Is sweet pea shrub deer resistant?
YES, it is generally thought that sweet pea shrub is deer resistant. However, it’s only well suited to USDA zones 9-10, meaning that the Northeast is too cold for this plant.
How tall do Japanese Pieris get?
While you may have to deal with pesky lacebugs, you’ll likely never see this shrub bothered by deer. Japanese pieris can reach average heights of 9-12 feet tall. 2. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) When it comes to native evergreen shrubs, this is one of the best choices for a shrub that will be ignored by deer.
What plants don't attract deer?
Both tall and short cultivars are available, all contain alkaloids that won’t taste good to deer [7]. 7. Inkberry (Ilex glabra) Here’s a native evergreen species that won’t attract deer (but will be enjoyed by songbirds). The holly species has dark green and glossy leaves, and produces a small black fruit.
Can bark be rubbed off a plant?
They not only cause breakage, but will rub the bark completely off a plant, girdling it and causing its eventual death. The only protection that I have found to be effective is to place an unsightly cage of fencing or concrete reinforcing mesh around the plant.
Can deer eat small trees?
No small tree or shrub is safe from the buck that is rubbing the velvet from his antlers or marking his area. They not only cause breakage, but will rub the bark completely off a plant, girdling it and causing its eventual death. The only protection that I have found to be effective is to place an unsightly cage of fencing or concrete reinforcing mesh around the plant. Since I usually install small plants, this means a lengthy period of eyesores in the landscape.
Do whitetail deer cause heartburn?
However, none of these critters seems to cause irreparable damage. The one that brings to bear serious heartburn though is the whitetail deer. Their natural ability to assimilate themselves into the residential community is exacerbated by those who delight in putting out food to attract them into their yards.
