[usmcfamily]

Hi! I looked in the garden forum about deer resistant shrubs but didn't find what I was looking for. Someone would recommend a shrub and the next poster would claim that deer ate theirs.

So, if you live in CT and have deer roaming on your property, do you have a shrub they avoid? I have a lot of shade, so unfortunately it needs to do well in shade, as well.

Any advice?

[andthentherewere3]

Andromeda, the deer won't touch them. Also, Connecticut's state "flower", the Mountain Laurel, is deer resistant, and it's actually a shrub, not a tree.

I have a ton of shrubs like rhododendrons and azaleas that the deer love, but I spray them monthly with "Bobbex" and the deer don't bother them.

[usmcfamily]

Originally Posted by andthentherewere3

Andromeda, the deer won't touch them. Also, Connecticut's state "flower", the Mountain Laurel, is deer resistant, and it's actually a shrub, not a tree.

I have a ton of shrubs like rhododendrons and azaleas that the deer love, but I spray them monthly with "Bobbex" and the deer don't bother them.

Thanks! I was hoping for advice from you

Bobbex - never heard of it. Do you get it at Benedicts or Home Depot? The deer ate my rhodes, azaleas and arborvite down to nothing!

Mnt. Laurel - I'll try that, I think it's supposed to do well in shade, too.

[andthentherewere3]

Yes, Benedict's. I was there just today, in fact. I am a regular, they know me there, lol. I also tried a spray from D. R. Charles on Rt. 111 last fall, it worked just as well. Unfortunately I can't remember the name, but I did like the sprayer, it didn't clog. I actually re-used the sprayer, and added Bobbex instead to it when the original spray ran out. I used to have a sprayer that often clogged when using Bobbex.

[Tin Knocker]

Why not invite a bowhunter in to take a few deer out? The deer are in your yard because theres too many of them more than because they like your bushes.
Its a much more permanent solution & its free.

That aside Bobbex works well, I'm surprised to hear they dislike mountain laural, they sure like Rhodies & Hosta.

[Huskyz]

We have had great results with Andromeda. IIRC we did have some browsing on Mt. Laurel in a previous house. There are other plants that are good but not many. Lists are available at most garden centers and other places. Get a few lists, study carefully, ask neighbors, observe as you drive the area. Consider planting rocks.

We have had good results with Bobbex but it must be applied regularly and is difficult to do in mid-winter. It is also increasingly expensive and smells strongly when applied. Wear old clothes and throw them in the wash.

Deer will probably eat the porch under truly severe conditions. After coexisting with them for over thirty years in three different houses, we have grown to dislike them intensely. Hunters and fences are the most reliable solutions but you need a lot of both for full protection. Even skilled hunters can't control them in the numbers that now exist in many areas.

Combination approaches using most/all of the above are best. One slip up and you can lose years of work and plants.

[wanderintonc]

Yes, deer are all over. I regularly see deerprints even in the urban areas I work in.

I wish some deer would come along and eat up some of the overgrown stuff in my yard! No, just kidding. They'd probably eat the garden I'm planning, instead, lol.

[kristiv]

Andromeda and Barberry have survived best in my deer-infested area. I also use a winter spray that a local nursery puts on in October. It lasts all winter, though it does leave a blue reisdue during those months, and has enabled me to have beautiful and large rhodys, azaelas, hemlocks etc. For the back yard where I have a deer path -- as many as a half dozen deer at anyone time can be traveling through -- we put up a heavy-duty nylon fence (attached to 7 foot high poles and the trees) and that helps most of the time. It is a self-done job, however, and we have to carefully monitor it for places where they jump through or crawl under.

Stay away from yews and hosta as those are deer candy. Darn things have even eaten holly and roses in my yard-- ouch!

[andthentherewere3]

I thought of a couple more, Boxwood and some Hollies. I have a few Hollies planted on either side of our front door, and the deer haven't bothered them. (although I wish they would) Instead they go after the rhododendrons and azaleas there. I can't stand those particular hollies, they want to grow out of control. Every summer I am constantly pruning and shearing them, trying to keep them to a manageable size. At the time I bought them several years ago, the tag simply said "Christmas Holly", with no description of how large they get. I found out later that these particular hollies can grow up to 20' tall, not exactly what I had in mind by our front entrance.

But you never know, if the deer are particularly hungry they will eat just about anything, as already mentioned here.

[JViello]

I have a considerable amount of landscaping, lillies, shrubs, garden etc.

I spray with DeerOff and have no problems. Before spraying they had a buffet.

Now the moles are another story.