Deer & Rabbit Resistant
Woody Plants
Deer and rabbit often visit our yards and show no interest in our plants but, sometimes they like to have a little snack. Planting a good mix of deer and rabbit resistant plants will deter them from browsing. Below is a list of deer and rabbit browse resistant plants as well as some tips and tricks to deterring and repelling them from your yard.
Deer - Browse Resistant Plants
- Barberry
- Beauty Bush
- Birch
- Blue Ice Bog Rosemary
- Broom
- Buffaloberry
- Burning Bush
- Caragana
- Chokeberry
- Cranberry, Arrowwood
- Currant
- Dogwood
- Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle
- Elder
- False Spirea
- Forsythia
- Ginkgo
- Gooseberry
- Hawthorn
- Honeylocust
- Japanese Tree Lilac
- Josta Berry
- Juniper
- Lilac
- Mockorange
- Ninebark
- Pine
- Potentilla
- Rose
- Russian Olive
- Sea Buckthorn
- Smoke Bush
- Snowberry
- Spirea
- Spruce
- Sumac
- Wolf Willow, Silverberry
- Yew
Rabbit - Browse Resistant Plants
- Alder
- Barberry
- Birch
- Boxwood
- Broom
- Cranberry Cotoneaster
- Cranberry, Arrowwood
- Currant
- Dogwood
- Elder
- Gooseberry
- Hawthorn
- Honeylocust
- Hydrangea
- Josta Berry
- Juniper
- Larch
- Lilac
- Linden
- Mockorange
- Mountain Ash
- Oak
- Oregon Grape
- Potentilla
- Russian Olive
- Saskatoon
- Smoke Bush
- Snowberry
- Spirea
- Sumac
- Wolf Willow, Silverberry
Deter and Repel
Tall fences of wire screen along with animal repellant sprays (Plantskydd or Bobbex) will be most helpful in deterring plant pests. When used in combination with resistant plants your chances of animal damage are minimalized.
Planning
When planning an area where deer and rabbit frequent, up to 40% of the plants should be deer or rabbit resistant. This will reduce the amount of browsing in the yard. However, in years where food is scarce, almost any plant will be considered acceptable.