What kind of deer-resistant vegetables can I plant in my garden?
Here's the thing about edible gardening -- deer agree with us most of the time on what's edible. The good, and rather surprising, news is that we eat some herbs, vegetables and berries the deer aren't so crazy about. Keep in mind there is no such thing as a "deer-proof" plant. Deer resistance is highly regional, seasonal, weather dependent, tied to food availability, and deer populations. Also, deer, like people, have different tastes in food. That said, these edible plants are at least worth a try outside the safety of a deer fence. Deer resistance is usually classified in three categories: Rarely Damaged, Occasionally Damaged, and Frequently Damaged. So, if you share your yard with a herd of deer you can still grow food that won't immediately be deer food.
Alliums
Our good friends of the allium family are favored for their pungency by man, but that quality makes beast turn up their noses at an offering of onions. If space in the deer fenced garden is at a premium plant your onions, chives, leeks, and garlic outside. Garlic is a fantastic companion plant for roses, which are on that frequently damaged list. Garlic planted with roses just might make the deer think twice about visiting your roses. Alliums are categorized as rarely damaged.
Aromatic Herbs
We savor the aromas of sage, dill, fennel, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and mint. Deer however find these herbs too much for their delicate noses to handle. Plant your herbs anywhere you like without fear of deer. These herbs fall into the rarely damaged category. Basil is also considered deer resistant, but slide it into the occasionally damaged classification.
Solanaceous Vegetables
Solanaceous vegetables, also called the deadly nightshade group, are vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers. Peppers and tomatoes carry the badge of rarely damaged. Potatoes are best put in the occasionally damaged slot.
Artichokes
Once you have the artichokes growing you can leave one or two to flower -- the bees will arrive en masse to enjoy the bloom! Artichokes are rather prickly, so deer usually find something else to munch on. Grow artichokes from crowns in the winter or from seed in the spring. Artichokes are generally categorized as rarely damaged.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a beautiful edible ornamental. With it's bright stalks and huge leaves it is quite a statement piece in the yard. Rhubarb is considered a rarely damaged plant.
23 comments
Awoke to my new fig sapling completely devoid of leaves. Many deer in the area and in my yard regularly. You should take the fig off the deer-safe list so others avoid the disappointment I feel.
I plant in a large open field that we know deer visit and they have never eaten my tomatoes (more than 50 + plants). Peppers weren’t touched either. They picked in and around to eat my sunflowers though…must be a favorite of theirs…tall stems but leaves gone over and over again….so funny but now I don’t bother though it would be so pretty. We can’t afford to fence in such a large area so only plant what we know can make it….no lettuces either. We plant those things next to the house in a smaller, fenced in area.
Deer trimmed my current bushes every year to the point I don’t have any left. So not deer resistant, there was plenty of grass and cedar available.
In Michigan’s upper peninsula the deer will browse currants. Above 45 degrees north in Wisconsin… the same thing. There are too many local deer to allow any browsing. The currants and kitchen garden and the newly planted apple trees are fence protected. In 3 or 4 years the fencing will come off the apple trees and we will share the harvest. They did ignore the mint and tansy planted next to the hosta (deer candy) This year we will test out alium.
In Connecticut at least tomatoes are not deer resistant. They eat fruit, leaves and smaller stems.