The bucks stop here: Deterrents for when deer dearly love your plants

Deer might be lovely animals, but not when grazing on freshly sprung tulips or hostas. And tree lovers fear antler rubs on trees and shrubs.
“Unfortunately, there are few simple solutions to prevent deer damage without eliminating deer completely,” says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Jennifer Schutter. But take heart, deer and plant lovers. The two can coexist with an integrated pest management approach.
This includes monitoring deer pressure and using fencing, repellents and deer-resistant plants.
Deer seek plants rich in protein, especially in spring and summer, to help them recover from winter. They like moist, tender plant parts such as buds, new leaves and immature stems.
Schutter offers these tips to avoid deer in your landscape:
– Be flexible when choosing plants. Like people, deer have different tastes in food. Look for plants labeled as “deer-resistant.”
– Choose plants with rough textures. Deer do not like the texture of rough, hairy, prickly and spiny plants. Deer also dislike the texture of some viburnums, oakleaf hydrangea, lamb’s ear, prickly leaves or stems like hollies or barberries.
-Choose plants with strong scents. Deer also turn up their noses at heavily-scented plants. Their stems or leaves contain aromatic compounds. Lavender, boxwood and marigold are considered aromatic plants.
– Choose bitter-tasting plants. Plants with a bitter or alkaloid taste include yarrow.
– Interplant deer favorites with undesirables. (See sidebar for a detailed list.)
The MU Extension publication “Controlling Deer Damage in Missouri” (MP685) is available online at extension.missouri.edu/p/mp685.
For more information about deer from MU Extension, visit bit.ly/2YKqjht.