Are any trees and shrubs deer resistant?
Although no plant species can be guaranteed to not be eaten by deer, there are some plants that deer do not seem to bother until all other available food sources have been depleted. A good reference is a publication put out by ISU Extension (PM 1302g), Managing Iowa Wildlife: White-Tailed Deer, which you can download from extension publications on the Iowa State University website, www.iastate.edu. In general, species that are thorny or aromatic like, barberry, birch, dogwoods, spruce and most pines (except white pine; a favorite of deer) are the most resistant. In the fall of the year, male (buck) deer rub their antlers on the trunks of (mainly younger) trees as they mark their territory for the mating season. These rubs can significantly shorten or even kill a tree if the active growing layer just under the bark is damaged. If you live in an area with high deer populations, it is important to protect your younger trees in the fall from rubs and scrapes of buck deer. This can be done
