Deer-Resistant Native Gardening

By Lissa Lutz, N.C. State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

(Image credit: Pixabay/MrsBrown)

Figuring out how to garden when you have deer is already a challenge, so you may be wondering how it can be done using only native plants. But fear not; with a little planning and careful plant selection it can be done. If you are just beginning to transition to native plants, keep in mind that a ratio of 70% native to 30% non-native is an acceptable and reasonable goal.¹ While non-native plants are generally unable to host caterpillar species that are a critical food source for baby birds, there are some deer-resistant selections that can provide nectar for pollinators, habitat for animals, and structure and beauty in the garden design.

Plan for Structure in the Garden

When designing a new garden bed, it can be helpful to start with shrubs or small trees, particularly evergreens, that will provide structure or “bones” for the garden.The evergreen native yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) can be a solid backdrop to your other native plants.² It tolerates sun to shade, comes in dwarf forms, and sports bright red berries in fall through winter which provide food for songbirds and small mammals. Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus), and beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) are native shrubs that are not evergreen but can offer structure and texture to the winter design, and attractive foliage, flowers and berries during the other seasons. All three thrive in full sun to part shade. Calycanthus has fragrant spring blooms and Clethra’s late summer white flowers are a magnet for pollinators. Callicarpa sports a multitude of small bright purple berries as a valuable winter food source for birds and mammals.

Native shrubs that can provide structure for a garden include: (1) sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus); (2) sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia); (3) yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria); (4) beautyberry (Callicarpa americana). (Image credit: Madeleine Bell CC-BY-SA 2.0); Susan Strine CC BY 2.0; Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0 ; Cathy DeWitt CC BY 4.0)

Some non-native options that are both hardy and striking include the evergreen tea olive (Osmanthus fragrans) and false holly (Osmanthus heterophyllus), with ‘Goshiki’ as a choice cultivar. Paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha) is not evergreen but has delightful fragrant blooms in the winter and is an underutilized deer resistant shrub with beautiful form with or without its leaves. All three thrive in full sun to part shade. For a lower growing shrub in a sunny garden, consider the evergreen creeping rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus ‘Prostratus’) which will happily cascade over a rock or retaining wall.

If your garden is on the shadier side, try the native evergreen anise tree (Illicium floridanum) or doghobble (Leocothoe fontanesiana). Illicium can grow to 10’ but is easily kept in bounds by pruning. It also comes in numerous cultivars with a variety of flower colors and size ranges including dwarf forms. Leucothoe boasts showy, fragrant white flowers in spring.

(Left to right) Native plants that will thrive in shady gardens include anise tree (Illicium floridanum) or doghobble (Leocothoe fontanesiana).(Image credit: Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0; Suzanne_Cadwell CC BY-NC 2.0)

A non-native choice for the shadier garden might include the Japanese plum-yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia). ‘Duke Gardens’ is a local cultivar noted for its compact shape.

Fill in the Garden with Perennials

Once you have anchored your garden design with some shrubs or small trees, it’s time to fill in with perennials. Many perennials can also provide structure and texture throughout the winter when you recognize the importance of leaving plants in the fall to provide winter habitat and food for animals. Hollow stems become nesting sites for solitary bees, and dried seed heads provide food for birds.

Choose Keystone Species

Significant deer pressure does narrow the palette but there are still many good plant options. A good place to start is to consider keystone species–plants that support the highest diversity and number of caterpillars. Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) are high on this list. If your garden is small consider some of the more well-mannered species such as sweet goldenrod (Solidago odora), white goldenrod (Solidago bicolor), or slender goldenrod (Solidago erecta). Most goldenrods bloom in the fall but using several different varieties can offer a spectrum of bloom time, shape, and color throughout the fall.³

(Left to right) White goldenrod (Solidago bicolor) and New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) are two “keystone” species that should be on your list of the deer-resistant natives. Both offer colorful fall blooms to the landscape. (Image credit: Fritz Flohr Reynolds CC-BY-SA 2.0 ; Drew Avery CC BY 2.0)

Asters are also considered a keystone species. Asters may not be entirely deer resistant, especially under high deer pressure, but they tend to be so vigorous and bloom so late that deer browse is more like an early pruning and they will still often have a fine flower display in the fall. Consider incorporating aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) or blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) to support specialized bees, caterpillars, songbirds and small mammals.

Plant Flowers with a Purpose

Flowers attract pollinators and add beauty. Many deer resistant natives are also great pollinator plants. Any of the mountain mints (Pycnanthemum spp.), will be swarming with hundreds of tiny pollinators throughout their bloom season, along with fragrant minty foliage. Blunt mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) keeps evergreen through the winter, rising to several feet in the summer when it blooms. It can spread but is easy to pull up and share extra plants. Narrowleaf mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium), has fine foliage and is more clumping. Hoary mountain mint (Pycnanthemum incanum) has silvery white foliage and fragrant leaves, but also likes to have some space and may be better for larger gardens. The mountain mints will tolerate partial shade.⁴

Boneset and thoroughwort (Eupatorium spp.) are underutilized native pollinator plants with excellent deer resistance. They have white flowers in summer and fall that attract bees and butterflies. Common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) likes wet soils and will spread to form colonies. Roundleaf thoroughwort (Eupatorium rotundifolium) can tolerate both wet and dry conditions. Foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) has showy white flowers in spring and its evergreen rosettes persist throughout the winter. An interesting and lesser-known plant that also has evergreen foliage in the winter is rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), identifiable by its funky white ball-shaped flowers. Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is another key pollinator plant that has excellent deer resistance due to its licorice scent.

(Left to right) Common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), and rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) are striking native plants that are deer resistant and attractive to pollinators. (Image credit: Fritz Flohr Reynolds CC BY-ND 4.0; Julie Anne Workman CC BY-SA 3.0; Debbie Roos CC BY 2.0)

The beebalms (Monarda spp) seem to be less reliably deer resistant but are worth trying for their sheer flower power. Spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata) is an unusual species that seems to have somewhat higher deer resistance. It is a less aggressive spreader, and supports moths, butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and several moth larvae.

(Left to right) Eastern bluestar‘s (Amsonia tabernaemontana) pale blue star-shaped flowers are attractive to beneficial insects but not to deer. These plants also provide fall color, as pictured here with the bright yellow leaves of the Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii). (Image credit: leonora Enking CC-BY-SA 2.0; Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

A must-have in the deer resistant native garden are the bluestars (Amsonia spp.). Eastern bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) has delightful blue flowers in the spring and can grow to shrub-like sizes. Similarly Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) can get quite large with fine textured foliage that turns dazzlingly yellow in the fall. Both species do well in full sun but can tolerate part shade.

Russian sage (Salvia yangii) is not native but attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and sports showy blue flowers spring through fall. It tolerates drought and is highly deer resistant.

Add Native Grasses to Your Landscape

Don’t forget grasses (or ferns and sedges for the shady garden). Native grasses can also be excellent choices if you have full sun and deer. Pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is a well-known grass with plumes of delicate pink in the fall. Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), splitbeard bluestem (Andropogon ternarius), and others can lend a prairie-like look in a more natural garden setting. Bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) is a more shade-tolerant grass with a seed head that looks just like a bottle brush. These grass species stay beautiful throughout the winter and support butterfly and moth larvae.

(Left to right) Many grasses are both native and deer resistant. For sunny areas choose muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) or little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) are good choices. For shady areas consider bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix). (Image credit: Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0); Hope Duckworth CC BY 4.0)

Ferns also tend to be deer resistant and are more shade tolerant, with many native and non-native varieties to choose from. Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is an evergreen native fern that will slowly spread and naturalize. Southern shield fern (Thelypteris kunthii) is a deciduous native but tolerates a wide variety of conditions and will naturalize to form large colonies. Ostrich fern (Onoclea struthiopteris) has a more formal vase shape and will also spread readily in favorable conditions. The evergreen native Cherokee sedge (Carex cherokeensis) tolerates wet soils, shade, and deer.

The North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox provides full descriptions and excellent pictures for all of these plants and many more. Use the information in the Toolbox to select plants that match your site conditions – sun, part sun, shade, wet, dry, etc. Knowing size, bloom time and other attributes of each plant will help you to design your own native garden that will grow and prosper even in the presence of hungry deer.

Design Diagrams for Deer-resistant Gardens

Some simple garden designs that you can start with are shown below. When you have created your plant list, start your shopping at the Friends of Durham County Master Gardener Plant Sale on Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 10am until sold out, at 721 Foster Street in Durham.

Sun-Loving Garden Design

Garden design by Deborah Pilkington. (Left to right) (1) Amsonia hubrichtii (Cathy Dewitt CC BY 4.0); (2) Agastache foeniculum (Magnus Manske CC BY-SA3.0); (3) Eryngium yuccifolium (Joshua Mayer CC BY-SA 4.0); (4) Allium cernuum (Judy Gallagher CC BY 2.0).

Shade-Tolerant Garden Design

Garden design by Deborah Pilkington. (Left to right) (1) Illicium parviflorum ‘Florida Sunshine’ (Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery); (2) Solidago odora (CC0); (3) Symphyotrichum cordifolium (Dan Mullen CC BY-NC-ND 2.0); (4) Cherokee sedge Carex cherokeensis (K. AndreCC BY 2.0).

Look for the following plants at the April 5th Master Gardener Plant Sale. Some will also be included in the plant giveaway at the March 22nd Plant Festival. Note that quantities of some plants are limited. A complete list of all plants that will be available at the sale can be found on the backyardtreasuresplantsale.org website after March 15th.

Agastache foeniculum

Amsonia spp.

Callicarpa americana

Carex cherokeensis

Edgeworthia chrysantha

Elymus hystrix

Eryngium yuccifolium

Eupatorium spp.

Ferns, native and non-native

Grasses, native

Illicium floridanum

Monarda spp.

Osmanthus spp.

Penstemon digitalis

Pycnanthemum spp.

Salvia yangii

Solidago spp.

Symphyotrichum spp.

Notes

1–Nonnative plants reduce population growth of an insectivorous bird.

2–Take a deeper dive on the native shrub the yaupon holly.

3–A previous blog post gives an excellent review on the care and planting of different varieties of goldenrod.

Resources and Additional Information

Residential yard management and landscape cover affect urban bird community diversity across the continental USA https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.2455

Article Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-5HN

Designing a pollinator-friendly garden: Tips from a pollinator expert

On January 15, 2025January 21, 2025 By durhammastergardenersIn bees, beneficial insects, bird friendly habitat, coastal goldenrod, garden design, garden tasks, Gardening information, gardening NC, goldenrod, insects, landscaping for wildlife, native bee habitat, native plant list, native plant list for Piedmont NC, native plants, Native plants of NC, Natives, NC Native Plants, nesting bees, nesting insects, perennials, pollinator gardening, pollinators, sustainable garden design, sustainable gardening, Uncategorized, urban gardening

By Martha Keehner Engelke, NC State Extension Master Gardener ^SMvolunteer of Durham County

Winter is the perfect time to make a plan to revise your garden. For many, that means making your garden more attractive to pollinators. Recently, I learned that building a garden that makes the A-list for pollinators is not just about the plants. I had an opportunity to interview Dr. Danesha Seth Carley, PhD Associate Professor in Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University (NCSU).

Dr. Carley’s expertise is sustainable management of urban landscapes with a focus on pollinator ecology. Her recent research programs include pollen quality in commonly planted wild-flowers, pollinator ecology, and pollinator habitat establishment. She has conducted her research along North Carolina roadways and at the historic Pinehurst #2 and #4 golf courses.

I heard Dr. Carley speak at a program sponsored by the Gardening Association of North Carolina . I contacted her, and she graciously agreed to a follow-up interview. She expanded on topics discussed in her presentation as well as her book Pollinator Gardening for the South: Creating Sustainable Habitats (co-authored with Anne M. Spafford)¹.

orange white and black butterfly on green leaf — P

brown and black bee on yellow flower nectar — P

Butterflies, bees, flies, wasps and birds are all considered to be pollinators. The most important pollinator is the bee. Bees contribute millions of dollars to the U.S. economy through pollination. (Images credit: Pixaby)

What does a pollinator want?

Let’s talk about the most important pollinator: Bees. There are two main categories of bees: social and solitary. Social bees are divided into 3 categories: bumblebees, honey bees and stingless bees (which are not well understood). Solitary bees, which are a larger category, include carpenter bees and the tiny sweat bee. In her book, Dr Carley tells the fascinating story about the social life of bees (as well as other pollinators).

The gardener needs to remember that pollinators choose plants that are best suited to their anatomy particularly tongue length (proboscis) and mouth parts. Bees are attracted to bowl-shaped flower that often have a prolific pollen ring in the middle. Native bees enjoy feasting on plants in the Asteraceae, Salix, Solidago, Helianthus, and Symphyotricum families. Butterflies and hummingbirds have longer tongues. They will be attracted to more tubular flowers such as Fuchsia (Fuchsia spp) ; Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis); and Turk’s cap lily (Lilium superbun).

All varieties of a particular plant are not equal when it comes to pollinators. Cultivars are often bred to maximize flower size, disease resistance, or aroma. This means that the cultivar may have less quality pollen than the plant from which it was bred. If you see the plant described as “flora pleno” (meaning with a full flower) it is likely to be a double bloom and thus less accessible to pollinators. A plant that is considered to be a great pollinator as a single, loses some of its attraction when it is a double. For example, Purple coneflower (echinacea purpurea) is one of the best plants for a pollinator garden but a number of cultivars with double flowers are more difficult for pollinators to access.

On the left echinacea purpurea has single flowers and is considered to be a great flower for pollinators. One the right, the flowers of Echinacea Supreme™ Elegance make it more difficult for pollinators to access. To some gardeners, the cultivar may seem more beautiful but the pollinators don’t see it that way. (Image credit: NC Tool Box; National Gardening Association, NJ Bob)

Someone like Dr. Carley is frequently asked which plants are the best for pollinators and she has an answer for her “Big Five” plants. They are: Mountain Mints (pycnanthemum sp.); Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea); Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa); Asters (Symphyotrichum sp); and Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella).

Pollinators are attracted by pollen and nectar. Desirable pollinator plants include: Mountain Mints (Image credit: ( NC Extension, Kerry Woods CC BY NC); Coneflowers (Image credit: NC Extension, Cathy DeWitt, CC BY 4.0) ; Butterfly Milkweed (Image credit: NC Extension, Mary Keim CC-BY-NC- SA-2); ; Asters (Image credit: NC Extension Douglas Goldman, USDA CC BY 4.0) ); and Blanket Flower (Image credit: elephantkitty CC BY NC ND 2.0)

The Importance of Structure/Composition

Just like humans, pollinators need two things to survive: nutrients (carbohydrates from nectar, protein from pollen) and a safe place to live and work. To be on the “A-list” pollinators want access to high quality pollen and nectar and protection from predators. This is why the structure of a garden is important.

Many of us approach gardening from the perspective of “buy one, plant one”. In our quest to have a lot of different plants, we may be reducing the attraction of our garden to pollinators. Planting clumps of plants rather than a single plant can help pollinators be more efficient. For example, honey bees and bumble bees enjoy goldenrod (Solidago). If you plant one goldenrod the female bees (the males don’t forage) collect the pollen on their hairy bodies (which is one reason they are the best pollinators), and then transfer it to their rear legs into their “pollen basket”. They mix the pollen with a bit of nectar to hold it in place and head back to the hive. If she has to do this several times because one plant doesn’t provide enough pollen, she is less efficient and it means that she might have less energy and be more susceptible to disease. There are two ways to prevent this: plant clumps of good quality plants or increase the diversity of your plantings (next section).

Goldenrod (Soldaigo spp. is a great plant for pollinators including this honey bee. When planted in clumps it helps the bees (and other pollinators) be more efficient. Of course, Goldenrod is a fast growing plant so you don’t need too many of them. (Image credit: NC Extension Plant Tool Box, Hope Duckworth)

Space for a happy home and safety from predators and toxins are other considerations related to the structure of a pollinator garden. While social bees (like honeybees) will live happily in wooden boxes or hollow trees, solitary bees dig their nests in the ground or in tubular stems. Resisting the urge to cut plants with hollow stems until the spring temperature is above 57^oF (the temperature when bees become active) allows bees to have a safe home for the winter.

It is also important to plant your pollinator garden away from areas that will be treated with pesticides and away from public walkways. Some people are allergic to or afraid of bees or consider flies and wasps to be a nuisance. If your garden is in the front of your house, you might want to plant your best pollinating plants toward the back of the bed. A strategically placed shrub or tree is another way of protecting pollinators.

A cluster of orange coneflowers allows butterflies and birds access to abundant nectar and seeds without excessive movement or exposure to predators. The shrub in the back offers protection. (Image credit: NC State Extension, Chris Moorman)

Diversity/Seasonality

A garden made of different types of plants (especially if they are native) is the best type of pollinator garden. Native plants are best because pollinators and native plants have evolved together. The NC Wildflower Association has developed an excellent chart of native plants that includes sun requirements and seasonality. The NC State Extension office provides a list of pollinator plants that include trees, shrubs and vines. These are useful tools in developing a garden that will valued by pollinators all year round.

As you begin your landscape design, be sure to think vertically as well as horizontally. Dr. Carley cautions that you need layers for depth and smooth transitions between plant layers. Thin clumps (or sweeps) of perennials that bloom early in the season that are planted close to other perennials that bloom later means that you have diversity as well as seasonality. It also makes your garden look better because something is always blooming.

To get some height consider a tree. One of the best is the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis). It is one of the few plants that has flowers before leaves. It blooms in early spring when pollen from other plants is scarce and it has high quality pollen and nectar. Honey bees, bumble bees, mason bees, cuckoo bees, long-horned bees, mining bees, and sweat bees love it. Redbuds are also a host plant for the larvae of several butterflies and moths. Songbirds and some other mammals eat the seeds. What’s not to like?

Pair the Redbud with shorter shrubs such as a native Sweetbush (Clethra alnifolia) which blooms much later but is visited by hummingbirds, butterflies, native bees, and later by birds who enjoy the fruit and a few shorter plants like the Cardinal Flower (Lobelia sp). Maybe even a few annuals for filling those bare spaces? Now you have a garden that is on the A-List for pollinators but is also attractive to look at.

Eastern redbud (top left) is one of the first plants to flower in the spring, and cardinal flower (right) and goldenrod (bottom left) are two excellent late-season nectar sources for bees, butterflies and other insects. (Image credit: NC Cooperative Extension, left photo by Alice B. Russell; other photos by Chris Moorman)

As a final thought, I quote Dr. Carley “there is no garden too small or landscape too large to include pollinator habitat. Together we can help protect our pollinator friends, and maybe we can inspire others along the way”.¹

Note¹: If you are interested in getting Dr Carley’s book, it is available through UNC Press.

Additional Reading and Resources

To learn how you can foster a home for bees during the winter consider leaving these plants with pithy stems during the winter. If you need to cut them, leave the long stems until spring in an obscure place in your landscape: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/how-to-manage-a-successful-bee-hotel/appendix-3-plants-that-produce-hollow-or-pithy-twigs-and-stems-used-by-nesting-bees

Here are some suggestions on specific plant that will attract pollinators to your garden:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/landscaping-for-wildlife-with-native-plants

https://gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/attracting-birds-beneficial-insects-other-wildlife/pollinators-and-other-beneficial-insects

The North Carolina Arboretum provides suggestions for plants and landscaping for a home pollinator garden: https://www.ncarboretum.org/2020/05/08/ask-the-arboretum-creating-a-pollinator-paradise-garden/

Article Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-5tr

Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Durham County

Category: native plant list