If you have a landscape in Northern Virginia, then you know the pain of dealing with the wildlife and their seemingly omnivorous appetites.
One of the most common questions we get is: “what plants are deer proof in Virginia?” What are the best deer proof plants that you can use in your landscape that are not only deer resistant but beautiful?
Let’s back up a bit to clarify that there is no guarantee that deer will not at least try anything if they are hungry. If deer do not have sufficient grazing during the colder months, they have been known to gobble up “deer proof” shrubs and perennials.
List of Deer Proof (read Resistant) Plants for Northern Virginia
Virginia Sweetspire
Virginia Sweetspire is one of the lesser known flowering shrubs, but it’s hardiness and fall color should not be overlooked. It has beautiful cascading white flowers in the spring, bright green foliage during the Spring and Summer, with a Fall show of Crimson foliage. During the Winter, the stems take on a wine tint that pops against a dark green or snowy background.
Boxwood
Boxwood shrubs have been used in gardens for hundreds of years. They are one of the slower growing evergreen shrubs, but once established are an architectural asset to any home. The best varieties are Green Velvet, English Boxwood and Nana or Dwarf Boxwood. Some folks dislike the scent of a blooming boxwood (all shrubs bloom, you just can’t see some). A Boxwood that doesn’t smell is Winter Gem (Buxus microphylla japonica). It is one of the most shade tolerant varieties as well.
Lenten Rose
While the name says rose, the Lenten Rose is actually part of the Hellebores family of perennials. If you want a low maintenance, deer resistant winter perennial, look no further than the multitude of Hellebores on the market. The Hellebores blooms earlier than any other perennial, often you’ll see it’s flowers in February! It’s also one of the few Evergreen perennials in Virginia!
Coral Bell
The Coral Bell perennial is one of the best shade tolerant perennials because they come in a rainbow of colors! The most deer resistant variety is called “Lime Rickey”. It has an almost neon green foliage color that lights up any shade garden. The “Plum Pudding” variety, while less deer resistant is unique in that it is “Ever Purple” or hardy enough to stay above ground in the Virginia winter temperatures.