Software
Houzz Logo Print
marina_yakhnich

Deer Resistant evergreens

7 years ago

What evergreen trees are the most deer proof from your experience?? Looking for tall & narrow types, but feel like all the arborvitae get eaten based on what I see around town. Appreciate any suggestions!!

Comments (16)

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    They go for those (Thuja) particularly, just about any other kind of conifer will not be so affected most of the time.

    Marina Y. thanked Embothrium
  • PRO
    7 years ago

    Cryptomeria, spruce, juniper, pine

    Marina Y. thanked Dig Doug's Designs
  • 7 years ago

    Holly, also are deer proof. Can get them in columnar varieties.

    Marina Y. thanked niccidhg
  • 7 years ago

    I have 18 green giant arborvities. The first winter the deer gave 2 of them a haircut, but they haven't bothered them since. They didn't eat enough to kill the 2. I ordered them online and they were small and I guess tender enough for the deer to try. They do love emerald green arborvities. I have several of them and I have a cage around them in the winter to keep from being dinner.

    Marina Y. thanked functionthenlook
  • 7 years ago

    Yew. You can get it in a tall upright variety as well as low spreading shape. Tolerates some shade as well.

    Marina Y. thanked jeannetteburgess
  • 7 years ago

    Thanks everyone, I'm looking into the junipers, skyrocket or spartan but nervous about it since they are pricey

  • 7 years ago

    I have yet to find anything that is actually deer resistant. A hungry deer will eat almost anything. We planted a row of Manhattan Blue Junipers and the bottom 3-4 feet have been eaten over the winter by deer. Same thing with our yew, sky pencil holly, and black ink holly.

  • 7 years ago



    These emeralds were not pruned by us, but by the deer. After some hard winters, it is obvious that they will eat almost anything. However, during the worst times, they did not eat the Dragon Lady holly. It is the only holly they did not eat. They have also not eaten our weeping pine, weeping spruce, mahonia, Alaska cedar, cryptomeria, leather leaf viburnum, or prague viburnum. They do not seem to ever touch any of the viburnums we have, but only prague is truly evergreen and not much of a bloomer, at least in my zone. When the deer are this bad, it makes gardening a creative challenge. Good luck!

  • 7 years ago

    I would like to hear more about plum yew for someone with first hand experience with them. I looked at some this spring and would consider them if I had some additional information on deer resistance. My deer issue is very serious. Throw in a ground hog or two and it gets even more interesting.

  • 7 years ago

    Deer(long-legged rats!) and groundhogs...sounds like my yard if you add a skunk or two!

  • 7 years ago

    I have some plum yews (Cephalotaxus) and they are highly deer resistant.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    There's nothing here about your ZONE. That really matters not only for what plants you can grow but which plants deer are liable to resort to in your particular area.

    I grow Cherry Laurels, several holly types (Prince/Princess, Inkberry, Nellie Stevens, Japanese and English Holly), Rhododendrons, Cephalotaxus (though the latter were nibbled on this past Winter), Boxwoods, Pieris, Skimmia japonica, clumbing bamboos, and Osmanthus heterophyllus.

  • 7 years ago

    There's nothing here about your ZONE. That really matters not only for what plants you can grow but which plants deer are liable to resort to in your particular area.

    Deer resistance (and rose disease resistance) threads always contain reports of varying experiences, that appear to contradict one another - due to differences between one planting site and the next.

    But unlike fungal disease spores deer can at least be fenced out. Which provides the only complete assurance that plants won't be damaged.



  • 7 years ago

    Attempting to fence out the deer can be prohibitively expensive.

  • 6 years ago

    I live in Maryland not far from you, and right next to a heavily wooded nature park. I constantly battle deer. I've moved on from yews, as my deer loved to eat them.