Deer Resistant Plants

An easy groundcovering perennial, Selfheal produces dense spikes of contrasting coppery tinged green bracts from which row after row of white tubular flowers with a purple 'hood' emerge. It begins flowering in early to mid spring lasting for several weeks providing nectar to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. This member of the mint family is easy to establish and requires little care once established in the garden. Use Selfheal as a groundcover, on roadsides, as a component of the meadow, prairie and other naturalistic settings. Selfheal can be used to good effect spilling over walls or even in containers if you feel you need to contain it. Deer, rabbit, and pest resistant. Mainly a winter and spring growing perennial that moves into dormancy after seeds set in summer. Item# 11176

Large deep red bottlebrush-like flowers are produced at the ends of the arching stems in spring and sporadically through summer on large established plants. Semmes' Hardy Bottlebrush was selected as much for its cold hardiness (large well-established plants have increased cold hardiness over young tender plants) as for its habit and flowering potential. Bronze tinged new growth follows the flush of spring flowers that are sure to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and other garden beneficials. Semmes' Hardy Bottlebrush has a naturally compact and rounded 4-5' x 4-5' habit with somewhat arching evergreen branches. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 11886

Large, 4-5" wide, fragrant, semi-double flowers of the purist white with wavy petals and a contrasting boss of golden yellow stamens shine like spotlights against the foil of deep green glossy foliage. Flowering begins early in the season in October continuing into December, with a few flowers into early January. Setsugekka Sasanqua Camellia has a vigorous moderately upright habit that rounds out with at maturity. This dense foliage of this large evergreen shrub lend it to use as a specimen, screen, hedge, or even a small evergreen tree form. The Sasanqua Camellias are tolerant of full sun to part sun conditions. Provide an average moist, average to well drained, moderately fertile, acidic soil rich in organic matter and an organic mulch for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 10183

In spring, tiny greenish-white flowers are produced in the leaf axils attracting a variety of bees and those that are pollinated will produce large 3/8" diameter shiny black berries. Beyond its value to wildlife, the Shamrock Dwarf Inkberry Holly, a selection of Ilex glabra, was selected for its compact 3-4' size, its adaptability to a variety of soil and sun conditions, and for the fact that it suckers less than the species. Its main requirement is acidic soils ranging from average moist to wet. Inkberry Holly is native to all states along the eastern seaboard and the Gulf Coast. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a moist soil for optimum vigor and the densest growth habit. Caterpillar host: Holly Blue. Item# 13287

Slender arching stems that end in spikes of purple flowers emerge from the soft fine textured foliage of this dainty Liatris from late spring through early summer and may even flower into fall. The soft texture and and gently arching flower spikes make this beautiful Blazing Star a perfect candidate for the perennial garden where it sure to attract attention as well as butterflies and pollinators. Plant several together for the best effect. Item# 9865.

Large to very large pure white flowers are composed of a row of overlapping wide petals that look as though someone tucked an anemone form flower neatly in its center. The yellow stamens simply add to its beauty. The long lasting flowers of Shiro Chan would make the perfect corsage or float them in a bowl. An early season flowering Camellia with a loose open form and upright to spreading habit with large deep glossy green foliage. Item# 11101

Shoal Creek Vitex produces 12" spikes of rich deep purplish-blue from late spring to fall.  This is a vigorous and disease free and drought tolerant spreading to upright deciduous shrub or small tree that attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators. Shoal Creek was selected as a Louisiana Super Plant for the spring of 2011 due to its large & richly colored spikes as well as for the fact that Vitex is an excellent low maintenance plant with a long flowering season. Item# 10305.

Forget those brittle old fall mums that need pinching and special treatment! Deep indigo, dense, fully double flowers are produced over an extended period in late summer and fall atop neat compact naturally rounded plants with deep green foliage. Forget about the throw away garden mums for fall, find an aster instead! Showmakers® Blue Bayou Dwarf New York Aster or Michaelmas Daisy, a selection of Aster novi-belgii or now Symphyotrichum novi-belgii, is a dense dwarf, hardy, clump-forming, native herbaceous perennial that develops into a neat rounded mass of flowers and foliage to about 12" high and wide with no pinching required. These were developed with container culture in mind but are sure to make statement in the garden or landscape as well. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in an average moist, average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Midday shade may be desirable in hot summer climates. Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady. Images courtesy of Syngenta Flowers, all rights reserved. Item# 13165

Medium to deep blue falls and standards with the falls being accented by contrasting gold crests at their base are produced in early to midseason, or March to April, atop 30-36" high stems. Sinfonietta Louisiana Iris has been highly popular since its introduction and was awarded an Honorable Mention in 1990 and the Award of Garden Merit in 1992 by the American Iris Society. Louisiana Irises are easy and adaptable, rhizomatous perennials with fans of deep green sword-like foliage and seem as at home in standing water as they do in average moist garden soils. Remember that these plants do most of their growing in fall and winter and so this is when they should be fed and fall is also a great time to divide plants if desired. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13339

A mainstay of southern and western Texas and New Mexico butterfly gardens! Bright yellow daisies are produced from late spring into fall and are held against a foil of dark green, deeply lobed, fragrant, narrow foliage with the heaviest flowering occurring in fall. The flowers are highly attractive to a variety of butterflies, bees, and other garden beneficials. Skeleton-Leaf Goldeneye, Viguiera stenoloba and now Sidneya tenuifolia, is a native, naturally evergreen, small shrub with fine-textured, very dark green, deeply lobed, strongly resiny fragrant foliage that is resistant to being browsed by deer and rabbits. It is tough as nails and is highly drought resistant once well-established. Use it as a low maintenance formal or informal hedge, back drop, or groundcover. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained soils. A caterpillar host plant for the Bordered Patch Butterfly. Item# 13084

The most vigorous growing of the Banana Magnolias or Banana Shrubs, Skinner's Banana Magnolia produces 1" long, sweetly banana scented, creamy yellow, cupped, miniature Magnolia flowers in spring and may produce some flowers until fall once mature. Still somewhat uncommon in the nursery trade, this small but vigorous evergreen tree or large shrub has a naturally upright to pyramidal habit with dark green glossy foliage. Skinner's Banana Magnolia makes a wonderful specimen, hedge, screen, or can easily be trained into a tree form. Caterpillar host: Western Tiger Swallowtail. Item# 646.

Narrow, upright to arching, 24-30" high spikes of rich purple flowers are produced in mid to late summer and into fall attracting a host of pollinators. Smallhead Blazing Star, Liatris microcephela, is a cormous, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial with narrow, dark green, fine-textured foliage and produce a multitude of flower spikes per plant at maturity. This tough little deer and drought resistant native is typically found in sandy to clayey, well-drained soils in the southeastern US. Like all of our Liatris species, it is a key pollinator plant attracting bees, butterflies, flower flies, and likely occasional low-flying hummingbirds. Smallhead Blazing Star makes for a long-lasting cut flower and, unlike most Liatris, the flowers begin opening from the top downward. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in fertile, average moist to periodically dry soil. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 13266

The Smith Fig is an heirloom Louisiana variety that was introduced by Becnel Nursery near New Orleans, Louisiana. It produces large yellow fruit with a sweet red flesh. A drop of honeydew exudes from the eye which minimizes spoiling and makes Becnel's Smith Fig a choice variety for southeastern gardens. Caterpillar host: Ruddy Daggerwing. Image courtesy of F. Carter. Item# 9910.

The large to very large, pure white anemone form flowers, sometimes with a few yellow stamens peaking out from between the central boss of petaloids and are produced in early to midseason or Nov-February. Snow Chan Camellia, a sport of Shiro Chan which is itself a sport of Elegans, and each of these varieties tend to have a slower rate of growth and a more open habit with large deep green foliage lacily edged with large prominent teeth. It tends to have a more evenly rounded form growing about as wide as high. Provide Camellias with a fertile soil rich in organic matter, with average moisture, and a deep organic mulch. Item# 13008

This low growing, mat forming perennial covers up in 1/2" wide white daisies with yellow eyes in late summer and fall attracting bees and smaller pollinators. Snow Flurry White Heath Aster, a selection ofSymphyotrichum ericoides , is a 4-8" high, sprawling, groundcovering selection of this normally 3' high native perennial with dark green narrow heath or juniper like foliage. This species is found most commonly throughout much of the central US as well as into the northeastern and northwestern regions. Provide this easy perennial with a full to mostly sunny site and well-drained, semi-dry soils. Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 12246

An exceptionally cold hardy and free flowering Gardenia, Snow Girl produces a big show of fragrant single flowers in early summer and continues to produce some flowers into late summer. This little beauty has deep green dainty foliage and a tight compact habit to help get her through the toughest of winters. Small enough to enjoy in containers or let this little gal perfume the summer garden and landscape. Item# 11121

Bright rosy pink to rosy red new growth matures to bright white and green creating a yearround splash of color in the garden, landscape, and even as a spiller for containers and over retaining walls. Snow-N-Summer™ Asiatic Jasmine, a wonderfully colorful selection of Trachelospermum asiaticum, creates a tough and easy, evergreen groundcover that has the ability to thrive even under trying conditions. This 6-12" high groundcover to small twining vine can produce creamy yellow fragrant flowers similar to Confederate or Star Jasmine, Trachelospermum jasminoides, when grown as a vine or when allowed to trail from hanging baskets and over retaining walls, though it is generally infrequent and is the exception rather than the rule. Few plants can compete with the disposition of this dense groundcover once it is fully established in the landscape making it an easy and reliable choice for landscapers and tough to garden in areas, like beneath trees, where few other plants can thrive or in parking lot islands. It is heat loving, both sun and shade tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, and has few pest or disease issues particularly when grown in soil with average or better drainage. For the best and brightest foliage coloration some direct sunlight during the day is beneficial and the more the better. Probably best suited to zones 8 and warmer for inground plantings but it can be used as a groundcover in containers beneath larger plants. item# 1188