|
Genus/Species |
Common Name |
Deer Proof by# 10 usually safe to 1 totally destroyed |
Comments |
|
Santa Lucia Fir |
8 |
usually safe |
|
|
Acacia Farnesiana |
5 |
|
|
|
Catclaw |
10 |
very thorny but even gallon stock not bothered |
|
|
Big Leaf Maple |
8 |
protect when young |
|
|
California Box Elder |
9 |
bothers only seedlings on really bad years |
|
|
Yarrow |
9 |
usually dormant when deer worst |
|
|
Chamise |
6 |
they browse but don't destroy, a fire plant, clear 100' |
|
|
Buckeye |
7 |
poisonous to all (but gophers & deer have eaten) structure of tree makes it fire safe |
|
|
Century Plant |
8 |
on bad years they roll out new plants and eat bottom |
|
|
Century Plant |
10 |
" |
|
|
White Alder |
2 |
water lover, eat the poo out of them on bad years |
|
|
Western Service Berry |
5 |
Great bird plant |
|
|
False Indigo |
10 |
smelly chaparral plant |
|
|
Red Columbine |
6 |
Pretty perennial |
|
|
Western Columbine |
6 |
Pretty perennial |
|
|
Sierra Columbine |
6 |
Pretty perennial |
|
|
Desert Columbine |
6 |
Pretty perennial |
|
|
Madrone |
9 |
Structure safe |
|
|
Manzanitas |
9 ( if native in area) |
are much more deer resistant in their native areas, gray ones more deer proof |
|
|
Brittleleaf Manzanita |
5 |
|
|
|
'Harmony' |
4 |
|
|
|
'Howard McMinn' |
4 |
They will eat every leaf,but no stems in bad areas |
|
|
'Sentinel' |
8 |
|
|
|
Sur Manzanita |
7 |
very low plant |
|
|
'Danville' |
4 |
|
|
|
Big Berry Manzanita |
9 |
They usually don't bother this |
|
|
'Monterey Carpet' |
4 |
They will eat every leaf, but leave stems in bad areas |
|
|
'Wayside' |
4 |
They will eat every leaf, but leave stems in bad areas |
|
|
'Dr. Hurd' |
9 |
They usually don't bother this |
|
|
Morro Bay manzanita |
7 |
|
|
|
Pajaro Manzanita |
4 |
|
|
|
Parry Manzanita |
6 |
|
|
|
La Panza Manzanita |
6 |
|
|
|
Dune Manzanita |
4 |
|
|
|
Bear Berry |
4 |
|
|
|
'Emerald Carpet' |
4 |
|
|
|
'Greensphere' |
4 |
4 |
|
|
'Sunset' |
4 |
|
|
|
Prickly Poppy |
5 |
|
|
|
Thrift |
4 |
|
|
|
Frog flower |
5 |
|
|
|
California Sagebrush |
5 |
about September they (and the wabbits) eat the new plants to the ground |
|
|
Sandhill Sage |
4 |
|
|
|
Big Basin Sagebrush |
9 |
|
|
|
Wild Ginger |
7 |
|
|
|
Monarch Milkweed |
9 |
|
|
|
Showy Milkweed |
9 |
|
|
|
Purple Aster |
6 |
flat |
|
|
Brewers Salt Bush |
4 |
rabbits will eat until 3' tall |
|
|
Fourwing Saltbush |
4 |
|
|
|
Desert Holly |
5 |
|
|
|
Alkali Saltbrush |
5 |
|
|
|
"Pigeon Point "or 'Santa Ana' |
6 |
after first year browsing is great! Keeps plant low, but first year they rip them out |
|
|
Coyote Bush |
9 |
|
|
|
Chuparosa |
7 |
|
|
|
River Birch |
4 |
|
|
|
Blue Dicks |
8 |
off season with deer |
|
|
Spice Bush |
9 |
|
|
|
Bush Anemone |
7 |
|
|
|
Island Mountain Lilac |
2 |
they eat as high as they can reach |
|
|
Buckbrush |
9 |
|
|
|
Scented-leaf |
8 |
|
|
|
Hearts Desire |
7 |
|
|
|
Big Sur Ceanothus |
1 |
|
|
|
'Louis Edmunds' |
1 |
|
|
|
Yankee Point |
1 |
|
|
|
Carpet Mountain Lilac |
7 |
|
|
|
Santa Barbara Ceanothus |
7 |
will eat new grow in bad years, bucks can do a number on it with antlers |
|
|
Deer Brush |
4 |
|
|
|
Lemmon's Ceanothus |
6 |
|
|
|
Whitebark Ceanothus |
7 |
|
|
|
'L.T. Blue' |
8 |
|
|
|
Maritime Ceanothus |
8 |
nearly flat |
|
|
Bigpod Ceanothus |
8 |
|
|
|
Wartleaf Ceanothus |
8 |
|
|
|
Squaw Carpet |
8 |
|
|
|
'Mills Glory' |
10 |
one of the most deer proof plants we have seen |
|
|
Jim Bush |
7 |
|
|
|
Blue Blossom |
5 |
|
|
|
Romona Lilac |
8 |
|
|
|
Wartystem Ceanothus |
8 |
|
|
|
'Blue Jeans' |
10 |
|
|
|
'Concha' |
7 |
will eat new growth in bad years |
|
|
'Dark Star' |
8 |
|
|
|
'Emily Brown' |
9 |
|
|
|
'Frosty Blue' |
7 |
|
|
|
'Joyce Coulter' |
7 |
|
|
|
'Julia Phelps' |
8 |
|
|
|
'Mountain Haze' |
7 |
|
|
|
'Ray Hartman' |
2 |
|
|
|
'Sierra Blue' |
2 |
|
|
|
'Snowball' |
10 |
|
|
|
Hackberry |
8 |
|
|
|
Buttonwillow |
7 |
|
|
|
Palo Verde |
5 |
|
|
|
Little Leaf Horse Bean |
5 |
|
|
|
Western Redbud |
7 |
|
|
|
Alder Leaf Mountain Mahogany |
1 |
|
|
|
Mountain Mahogany |
3 |
|
|
|
Desert Mountain Mahogany |
6 |
|
|
|
Desert Willow |
7 |
|
|
|
Soap Plant |
7 |
flower stalks are tasty for deer |
|
|
Virgin's Bower |
7 |
|
|
|
Virgin's Bower |
7 |
|
|
|
Summer Holly |
6 |
|
|
|
Brown Stem Dogwood |
7 |
|
|
|
Mountain Dogwood |
6 |
|
|
|
Forest Dogwood |
6 |
|
|
|
Redtwig Dogwood |
6 |
|
|
|
Cliff Rose |
5 |
|
|
|
Crabapple bush |
5 |
|
|
|
Modoc Cypress |
10 |
|
|
|
Tecate Cypress |
10 |
|
|
|
Gowen Cypress |
10 |
|
|
|
McNab Cypress |
10 |
|
|
|
Sargent Cypress |
10 |
|
|
|
Scarlet Larkspur |
9 |
|
|
|
Sky-Blue Larkspur |
9 |
|
|
|
Bush Poppy |
5 |
|
|
|
Golden Ear Drops |
8 |
|
|
|
Sticky Monkey Flower |
9 |
|
|
|
Azalea-flowered monkey |
8 |
not favorites but will eat |
|
|
Southern Monkey Flower |
8 |
|
|
|
Rock Monkey Flower |
8 |
|
|
|
Mission Monkey Flower |
8 |
|
|
|
Shooting Star |
4 |
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
Yellow Flowered Moss |
9 |
|
|
|
Liveforever |
7(ducks love) |
|
|
|
Narrow Leaf Liveforever |
7(ducks love) |
|
|
|
Liveforever |
6 |
|
|
|
Chalk Dudleya |
8 |
|
|
|
Dainty Yellow Composite |
8 |
|
|
|
Incienso |
5 |
|
|
|
Seaside Daisy |
7 |
|
|
|
Yerba Santa |
8 |
|
|
|
Wooly Yerba Santa |
8 |
|
|
|
Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat |
3 |
|
|
|
Silver Buckwheat |
3 |
|
|
|
Ash-Leaf Buckwheat |
3 |
|
|
|
Dry Mountain Buckwheat |
4 |
|
|
|
Saffron Buckwheat |
4 |
|
|
|
California Buckwheat |
6 |
|
|
|
Gray Calif. Buck |
6 |
|
|
|
Saint Catherine's Lace |
6 |
|
|
|
Red Buckwheat |
5 |
|
|
|
Sulfur Flower |
5 |
|
|
|
High Mountain |
5 |
|
|
|
Golden Yarrow |
6 |
|
|
|
Spider Yarrow |
6 |
|
|
|
Scented Wallflower |
5 |
|
|
|
Menzes's Wallflower |
5 |
|
|
|
Apache Plume |
5 |
|
|
|
Barrel Cactus |
7 |
on bad years they will eat from bottom up |
|
|
Desrt Olive |
5 |
|
|
|
Flowering Ash |
7 |
|
|
|
Wood Strawberry |
5 |
|
|
|
Beach Strawberry |
5 |
|
|
|
California Flannel Bush |
4 |
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
Mexican Flannel |
7 |
|
|
|
Island Snapdragon |
2 |
|
|
|
'James Roof' SilkTassel |
7 |
|
|
|
Narrowleaf Golden Bush |
7 |
|
|
|
Owlclaws |
7 |
|
|
|
Toyon |
7 |
|
|
|
Island Alum Root |
8 |
|
|
|
Alum Root |
8 |
|
|
|
Hairy Alum Root |
8 |
|
|
|
Dwarf Alum |
8 |
|
|
|
Cream Bush |
6 |
|
|
|
Desert-Lavender |
7 |
|
|
|
Pacific Coast Iris 1 |
10 |
|
|
|
Pacific Iris |
8 |
|
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
Western Blue Flag |
10 |
|
|
|
Tulare Lavender Iris |
10 |
|
|
|
Bladderpod |
9 |
|
|
|
Hayes Iva |
9 |
|
|
|
California Black Walnut |
6 |
|
|
|
Calif. Juniper |
9 |
|
|
|
Bush Snapdragon |
7 |
|
|
|
Bush Beard-tongue |
7 |
|
|
|
Climbing Penstemon |
7 |
|
|
|
Whorl-leaf Penstemon |
7 |
|
|
|
Creosote Bush |
9 |
|
|
|
Malva Rosa |
6 |
|
|
|
Pitcher Sage |
8 |
|
|
|
Island Pitcher Sage |
7 |
|
|
|
Desert Alyssum |
4? |
|
|
|
Siskiyou Lewsia |
3? |
|
|
|
Incense Cedar |
10 |
bucks will clean antlers on |
|
|
Tiger Lily |
4 |
usually dormant summer when deer are out |
|
|
Leopard Lily |
3 |
usually dormant summer when deer are out |
|
|
|
3 |
usually dormant summer when deer are out |
|
|
Tan Bark Oak |
9 |
|
|
|
Woodland Star |
6 |
|
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
Calif.Honeysuckle |
9 |
|
|
|
Chaparral Honeysuckle |
7 |
|
|
|
Twinberry |
7 |
|
|
|
Deer Weed |
5 |
|
|
|
Silver Lupine |
9 |
|
|
|
Tree Lupine |
9 |
|
|
|
Silver Beach Lupine |
9 |
|
|
|
Mojave Aster |
5? |
|
|
|
Oregon Grape |
6 |
|
|
|
Nevin's mahonia |
6 |
|
|
|
Creeping mahonia |
6 |
|
|
|
Chaparral Bush Mallow |
8 |
|
|
|
Lopez Bush Mallow |
8 |
|
|
|
Las Pilitas Bush Mallow |
8 |
|
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
Scarlet Monkey Flower |
5 |
|
|
|
Creeping Monkey Flower |
5 |
|
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
Large Flowered Mon. |
8 |
|
|
|
Purple leaved |
8 |
|
|
|
Mint Bush |
8 |
|
|
|
Coyote Mint |
8 |
|
|
|
California Wax Myrtle |
8 |
|
|
|
Hooker's Evening Primrose |
5 |
|
|
|
California Peony |
9 |
|
|
|
Coffee Fern |
9 |
|
|
|
Bird Foot Fern |
9 |
|
|
|
Azure Penstemon |
7 |
|
|
|
Red Mountain Fountains |
7 |
|
|
|
Scarlet Bugler |
7 |
|
|
|
Cleveland's Penstemon |
7 |
|
|
|
Blue Color Mat |
0 |
|
|
|
Bee penstemon |
8 |
|
|
|
Blue Bedder |
9 |
Deer eat until established |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
Scalet Penstemon |
7 |
|
|
|
Mountain Pride |
7 |
|
|
|
Balloon Flower |
9 |
|
|
|
Eel River Penstemon |
6 |
|
|
|
Whorl Penstemon |
9 |
|
|
|
Showy Penstemon |
7 |
|
|
|
Blue-flowered grape leaf |
8 |
|
|
|
Wild Mock Orange |
7 |
|
|
|
Ninebark |
6? |
|
|
|
Engelman Spruce |
8 |
|
|
|
Chaparrel Pea |
8 |
|
|
|
Pinus aristata |
Bristlecone Pine |
5 |
|
|
Knob-cone pine |
5 |
|
|
|
Coulter Pine |
5 |
|
|
|
Limber Pine |
4 |
|
|
|
Jeffrey Pine |
5 |
|
|
|
Sugar Pine |
4 |
|
|
|
Pinyon Pine |
5 |
|
|
|
Bishop Pine |
4 |
|
|
|
Lodgepole Pine |
4 |
|
|
|
Ponderosa Pine |
4 |
|
|
|
Monterey Pine |
3 |
|
|
|
Cambria Pine |
3 |
|
|
|
Santa Cruz Island Pine |
4 |
|
|
|
Gray Pine |
4 |
|
|
|
Torrey Pine |
4 |
|
|
|
Washoe Pine |
4 |
|
|
|
Goldback Fern |
10 |
|
|
|
Sycamore |
4 |
not safe until 5' above deer height |
|
|
Western Sword Fern |
10 |
|
|
|
'Zapata' cottonwood |
4 |
not safe until 5' above deer height, then ok |
|
|
Black Cottonwood |
4 |
not safe until 5' above deer height, then ok |
|
|
Cinquefoil |
5? |
|
|
|
Cream Colored Cinquefoil |
5? |
|
|
|
|
5? |
|
|
|
Mesquite |
7 |
|
|
|
Screwbean Mesquite |
7 |
|
|
|
Desert Peach |
7 |
|
|
|
Sand Almond |
7 |
|
|
|
Hollyleaf Cherry |
6 |
|
|
|
Catalina Cherry |
5 |
|
|
|
Choke Cherry |
4 |
|
|
|
Douglas Fir |
8 |
|
|
|
Waxy Bitterbrush |
5 |
|
|
|
Antelope Bush |
5 |
|
|
|
Live Oak |
7 |
|
|
|
|
7 |
|
|
|
Scrub Oak |
7 |
|
|
|
Canyon Live Oak |
8 |
|
|
|
Blue Oak |
7 |
|
|
|
Leather Oak |
8 |
|
|
|
Mesa Oak |
7 |
|
|
|
Calif. Black Oak |
7 |
|
|
|
Valley Oak |
5 |
Deer ok after 6' tall |
|
|
Interior Live Oak |
7 |
|
|
|
Dwarf Live Oak |
7 |
|
|
|
Coffee Berry |
8 |
|
|
|
Redberry |
9 |
|
|
|
Hollyleaf Redberry |
9 |
|
|
|
Lemonadeberry |
8 |
|
|
|
Sugar Bush |
7 |
|
|
|
Squaw Bush |
10 |
|
|
|
Golden Currant |
9 |
|
|
|
Hillside Currant |
8 |
|
|
|
Nipomo Gooseberry |
7 |
|
|
|
White Flowered Currant |
9 |
|
|
|
Chaparral Currant |
9 |
|
|
|
Canyon Gooseberry |
9 |
|
|
|
Yellow Gooseberry |
9 |
|
|
|
Pink-Flowered Currant |
9 |
|
|
|
Fuschia Flowered Currant |
9 |
|
|
|
Evergreen Currant |
9 |
|
|
|
Matilija Poppy |
6 |
|
|
|
Calif. Wild Rose |
7 |
|
|
|
Mojave Rose |
7 |
|
|
|
Fragrant Rose |
7 |
|
|
|
Willow |
6 |
|
|
|
White Sage |
7 |
|
|
|
Island Black Sage |
9 |
|
|
|
Cleveland Sage |
9 |
|
|
|
Purple Desert Sage |
9 |
|
|
|
'Pozo Blue' |
9 |
|
|
|
Purple Sage |
9 |
|
|
|
Black Sage |
9 |
|
|
|
Creeping Black Sage |
5 |
|
|
|
Creeping Sage |
5 |
|
|
|
Hummingbird Sage |
9 |
|
|
|
Elderberry |
9 |
protect when young |
|
|
Potmint |
9 |
|
|