{"id":301,"date":"2025-08-18T13:08:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T20:08:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/?page_id=301"},"modified":"2026-03-29T14:04:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T21:04:00","slug":"deer-resilient-garden","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/deer-resilient-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Deer Resilient Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wsu-row wsu-spacing-beforeu002du002ddefault wsu-spacing-topu002du002ddefault wsu-row--sidebar-right\" >\r\n    \n<div class=\"wsu-column\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<p>The Deer Resilient Garden in the Community Education Garden tests plants to identify those less affected by winter deer browsing. Deer are in this area in the winter and spring, when tulips are a tasty treat. They are less frequent visitors in the summer, so the garden focuses on evergreens. The garden was started in May, 2013. &nbsp;This list of plants is current as of&nbsp; January 2026.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trees marked with \u201cUF\u201d are utility friendly trees, those expected to be short enough at maturity to plant below an overhead utility line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about deer in the garden:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/s3.wp.wsu.edu\/uploads\/sites\/2076\/2024\/07\/C063-Deer-Resistant-Plants.pdf\">Deer Resistant Plants (pdf)<\/a> \u2013 WSU Extension, Spokane County<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wdfw.wa.gov\/species-habitats\/living\/species-facts\/deer\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/wdfw.wa.gov\/species-habitats\/living\/species-facts\/deer\">Living with Deer<\/a> \u2013 Washington Department of Fish &amp; Wildlife<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/njaes.rutgers.edu\/deer-resistant-plants\/\">Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance<\/a> \u2013 Rutgers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Cedrus atlantica<\/em> \u2018Glauca Pendula\u2019 \u2013 weeping blue atlas cedar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Hesperocyparis arizonica<\/em> \u2018Sulphurea\u2019 \u2013 Arizona cypress UF: 10 ft x 4 ft<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Juniperus scopulorum<\/em> \u2018Skyrocket\u2019 \u2013 juniper \u2013 UF: 15-20 ft<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Picea abies<\/em> \u2018Pendula\u2019 \u2013 weeping Norway spruce<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Picea omorika<\/em> \u2018Nana\u2019 \u2013 dwarf Siberian spruce<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Picea pungen<\/em>s \u2018Bakeri\u2019 \u2013 blue spruce- UF: 12 ft by 6 ft<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Picea pungens<\/em> \u2018Iseli Fasigiate\u2019 \u2013 columnar blue spruce- UF: 15 ft x 4 ft<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Picea pungens<\/em> \u2018Montgomery\u2019 \u2013&nbsp; dwarf blue spruce<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Pinus leucodermis<\/em> \u2018Banderica\u2019 \u2013 Bosnian pine<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Pinus parviflora<\/em> \u2018Goldilocks\u2019 \u2013 white pine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shrubs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Berberis japonica<\/em> \u2013 large leaf barberry<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Daphne x transatlantica<\/em> \u2018Summer Ice\u2019 \u2013 daphne<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Erica cinerea<\/em> \u2018Atropurpurea\u2019 \u2013 purple bell heather<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Erica x darleyensis<\/em> \u2018Mediterranean Pink Heath\u2019 \u2013 winter heath<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Fothergilla gardenia<\/em> \u2013 dwarf fothergilla<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Genista lydia<\/em> \u2013&nbsp;broom, woadwaxen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Juniperus squamata<\/em> \u2018Blue Star\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Juniperus procumbens<\/em> \u2018Green Mound\u2019 \u2013 &nbsp;dwarf groundcover juniper<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Nandina domestica<\/em> \u2018Gulf Stream\u2019 \u2013 dwarf nandina<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Potentilla fruticose<\/em> \u2018Goldfinger\u2019 \u2013 shrubby cinquefoil<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Prunus laurocerasus<\/em> \u2018Otto Luyken\u2019 \u2013 english laurel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Spiraea japonica <\/em>\u2018Anthony Waterer\u2019 \u2013&nbsp;Japanese spirea<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Spiraea japonica<\/em> \u2018Little Princess\u2019 \u2013 &nbsp;Japanese&nbsp;spirea<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Syringa pubescens<\/em> subsp. patula \u2018Miss Kim\u2019 \u2013 Korean lilac<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Viburnum opulus<\/em> \u2018Nanum\u2019 \u2013 dwarf European cranberry bush<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Weigela florida<\/em> Sonic Bloom \u2018Pink\u2019 \u2013 weigela<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Weigela florida<\/em> \u2018Verweig\u2019 MY MONET \u2013 weigela<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Weigela <\/em>x \u2018Raspberry Lemonade\u2019 \u2013 &nbsp;weigela<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Perennials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Carex oshimensis<\/em> \u2018Evergold\u2019 \u2013 sedge grass<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Euphorbia x martinii<\/em> \u2018Ascot Rainbow\u2019 \u2013 \u2018Ascot Rainbow\u2019 spurge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Hemerocallis<\/em> \u2018Stella de Oro\u2019 \u2013 &nbsp;day lily<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wsu-spacing-after--none\"><em>Paeonia lactiflora<\/em> \u2018Sarah Bernhardt\u2019 \u2013 peony<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-column  wsu-borderu002du002dcolor-midnight\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2025\/08\/deergarden2020-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"Landscaped garden with small shrubs, conifer plants, and a curved stone seating area.\" class=\"wp-image-226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2025\/08\/deergarden2020-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2025\/08\/deergarden2020-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2025\/08\/deergarden2020-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2025\/08\/deergarden2020-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2025\/08\/deergarden2020.png 1496w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n    <nav class=\"wsu-navigation-vertical wsu-vertical-menu\">\n        <ul id=\"wsu-site-menu\" class=\"wsu-menu-collapse wsu-menu-collapse--style-vertical\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/\">MG Home<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/ask-a-master-gardener\/\">Ask a Master Gardener<\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\"><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/\">Demonstration Gardens<\/a><button aria-label=\"{Open submenu Demonstration Gardens\" class=\"wsu-menu-collapse--action-toggle\"><\/button>\n<ul class=\"sub-menu\">\n<li aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\"><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/\">Community Education Garden<\/a><button aria-label=\"{Open submenu Community Education Garden\" class=\"wsu-menu-collapse--action-toggle\"><\/button>\n\t<ul class=\"sub-menu\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/all-things-woody-garden\/\">All Things Woody Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/butterfly-garden\/\">Butterfly Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/dahlia-garden\/\">Dahlia Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/deer-resilient-garden\/\">Deer Resilient Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/homers-garden\/\">Homer\u2019s Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/natives-n-more-garden\/\">Natives \u2018N More Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/welcome-garden\/\">Rose Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/sun-shadow-garden\/\">Sun &amp; Shadow Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/vegetable-garden\/\">Vegetable Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/welcome-garden-2\/\">Welcome Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/community-education-garden\/winnie-the-pig-garden\/\">Winnie the Pig Garden<\/a><\/li>\n\t<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/demonstration-gardens\/leavenworth-fish-hatchery-pollinator-garden\/\">Leavenworth Fish Hatchery Pollinator Garden<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/gardening-resources\/\">Gardening Resources<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/become-a-master-gardener\/\">Become a Master Gardener<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/mg-home\/plant-sale\/\">Plant Sale<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>    <\/nav>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-row wsu-row--single\" >\r\n    \n<div class=\"wsu-column\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What we have learned<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We check the CEG in the spring for evidence of deer impacts. These are the spring reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2025 \u2013 The \u2018Otto Luyken\u2019 laurel again browsed.&nbsp; A deer rubbed the fall-planted and still flexible <em>Hesperocyparis arizonica<\/em> \u2018Sulphurea\u2019, removing some of the bark and several branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023- The shorter \u2018Otto Luyken\u2019 laurel had more browse, and in May has new shoots.&nbsp; Three tips on a&nbsp; small evergreen in the Welcome Garden were nipped, and did not set new growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2022- Due to heavy browse, three ilex in the Welcome Garden were removed. The smaller of the two \u2018Otto Luyken\u2019 laurels in the Deer Garden had heavy browse. In May it is slowly sending our new shoots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2021- We had report of 11 deer in the garden during one visit. Browse on the top shoots of the \u2018Otto Luyken\u2019 laurels was a little heavier than previous years, and as of early May, the shrubs are recovering well. Deer again browsed the columnar holly shrubs in the adjacent Welcome Garden. In our newest \u201cWoody\u201d garden, they may have nipped the \u201cAronia Viking\u201d black chokeberry, and the tulips were a treat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2020- Winter snows were deep this winter. In early March, there is evidence of light deer browsing on the top shoots of the \u2018Otto Luyken\u2019 laurels, more on the smaller of the two shrubs. In the adjacent Welcome Garden, deer browsed the top several feet of the columnar holly shrubs to the shrubs\u2019 trunks. They also nibbled the tips of the two short Dwarf Eastern White Pines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2019- In early March, with no snow on the ground, there is evidence of light deer browsing on the top shoots of the \u2018Otto Luyken\u2019 laurels, more on one than the other. In the adjacent Welcome Garden, deer browsed the columnar holly shrubs to the shrubs\u2019 trunks. By mid-summer, the laurel is full; the width is as expected, though the plant is shorter than expected. The hollies in the adjacent garden show growth at the tops, but the sections nibbled over the winter are not as full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2018- In early March, with about 10 inches of snow on the ground, evidence of light deer browsing on a portion of the&nbsp;\u2018Otto Luyken\u2019 laurel above the snow line.&nbsp;In the adjacent Welcome Garden, the deer browsed the holly shrubs. &nbsp;In mid-March, deer rubbed the bark off a section of sumac shrub in the Natives and More garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2017- In mid-January, with about a foot of snow on the ground, evidence of heavy deer browsing on the \u2018Otto Luyken\u2019 laurels. &nbsp;In the adjacent Welcome Garden, the deer browsed several holly shrubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In mid-May, fresh growth on the laurels shows the plants are recovering well after winter deer browsing. In the adjacent Welcome Garden, the hollies are recovering with fresh growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2016 \u2013 No evidence of deer browsing until April, when a few nibbles are evident on the 2 smaller of the 3 \u2018Otto Luyken\u2019 laurels. These 2 shrubs were planted in 2014 and are about 18\u2033 tall. &nbsp;Not related to deer browse, a pieris \u2018Fire N Ice\u2019 and a hinoki died, both likely due to a warm October, then cold snap in November and the plants were not yet dormant. Both were planted in 2014 and removed in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2015 \u2013 No evidence of deer browsing in the Deer Garden.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":287,"featured_media":0,"parent":215,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":0,"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_expiration_date":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"cahnrs_clean_page_nonce":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/301"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/287"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15089,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/301\/revisions\/15089"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/chelan-douglas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}