Defeat deer with smart and easy landscape solutions - cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Deer devouring otherwise healthy plants remains an expensive and time-consuming source of frustration for Northeast Ohio gardeners. Area garden centers can help residents choose from a wide variety of deer-resistant annuals and perennials.

Annie Dorsey, director of marketing for Petitti Garden Centers, cautions, “No plant is 100 percent impervious to deer browsing,” though she adds that some plants are rated as deer-resistant because they possess “traits that deer do not like.”

Noelle Akin, director of communications and education for Petitti, enumerates a list of characteristics that typically deter deer, including strong aromas, fuzzy leaves, leathery foliage, toxic sap, and thorns throughout the entirety of the plant.

Thorns frequently conjure up images of roses, though Patti Boyert, co-owner of Boyert’s Greenhouse & Farm in Medina, says the ungulates simply cannot pass up the tasty Rosaceae varieties. “They’ll eat the spiny parts, too.”

Hostas, another plant frequently found in area gardens, are considered “deer salad” and when the buffet runs out, hungry patrons may decide to sample various items on a menu that includes other landscape features and flower gardens.

“Your landscape is essentially a place they have found food before,” notes Akin. “You don’t want to be the 24-hour diner for the deer.”

Regardless of what you plant, population pressure plays a part in what is considered edible to deer. According to Boyert, Medina County’s fields of alfalfa, soybeans and corn, along with hunting pressure, generally ensure that ungulates need not dine on residential plantings, which stands in stark contrast to many more heavily populated areas of Northeast Ohio.

Akin says plants with multiple forms of deer resistance tend to do better. “The more deer-resistant attributes, the better the plant is going to be.”

For example, catmint -- a long bloomer that demands little maintenance -- has both fuzzy foliage and an aroma that deer rarely tolerate. Other mint relatives, including beebalm and agastache, are highly deer resistant, as well.

Herbs, frequently in the mint genus, also deter the pesky critters, as do smelly ornamental onions such as the familiar purple, globular allium.

For purely “fuzzy” qualities, Akin highlights an old favorite -- lamb’s ear. Other traditional garden plants like iris and peonies generally prove unpalatable to uninvited diners.

Plants containing toxins are rarely touched by deer, though they invariably benefit pollinators. Butterflyweed, a vibrant orange milkweed; colorful lantana; and the gloriously variable, tubular foxglove are some of the more showy examples.

Gardeners should be aware that toxic plants may also present a danger to pets and children.

Akin points to barberry as an effective example of a “spiny” deer deterrent. The plants require limited care and come in a variety of colors, though they have a reputation for invading Northeast Ohio woodlands. Boxwood is another shrub that proves unappealing to area ungulates.

Ornamental grasses, a growing favorite for landscapes, continue to impress with an expanding array of varieties and color patterns. The monocots require little attention, and deer rarely even attempt to consume the rough leaves.

Ferns -- plants that have survived various challenges for more than 300 million years -- typically remain unmolested by deer.

Many gardeners necessarily resort to deer repellents. Akin reveals that Petitti frequently relies on Plantskydd, a bone-meal product that informs deer that predators could be lurking in the area. Putrescent egg solids, essential oils and other organic solutions are also readily available.

Boyert cautions against becoming too reliant on one deer deterrent. “The deer will get used to a product, so your best bet is to alternate your product.”

Locally owned Northeast Ohio garden centers are best positioned to discuss the countless plants that deer detest. The experts can also suggest repellents and barriers to hungry herbivores of all varieties.

The website for Petitti Garden Centers, with nine locations in Northeast Ohio, offers several in-depth posts regarding deer deterrence. Informed staff members are available to help customers find the best plants for their neighborhood. The centers are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Boyert’s Greenhouse & Farm, located at 7171 Wooster Pike Road in Medina, is staffed by experienced gardeners. They are open Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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