Deer-resistant Native Plants

Deer are adaptable creatures, and they may choose to eat any species if it is easily available to them and they are hungry. However, you can choose species that at least are not their favorites or rebound hardily after browse.

Plants have a number of resistance strategies to survive browse by deer, elk, moose, rabbits, mice, mountain beavers, and other critters. Some of these plants are spiky, like Sitka spruce and Nootka rose. Others are high in flavorful chemicals, such as tannins, like Oregon ash and Oregon white oak. Another prominent strategy is the ability to grow quickly and bushy after a munch, like vine maple and red huckleberry.

In the Pacific Northwest, we share ecosystems with an assortment of incredible animals who love to snack through plantlife (who can blame them?). It is important to remember that we co-exist and to have tolerance for inevitable browse. The plant species highlighted in this blog post are a selection that we have found especially resistant in the restoration setting. It is not an extensive list, but we hope it helps in your project planning.