Some garden plants are tasty to hungry deer

On Sunday morning I watched five deer feeding in my front yard. They were browsing on any vegetation from ground level to about 5 feet in the air. They stayed in the yard for about three hours, alternately browsing, preening each other, resting or playing.

Since I live in the woods I didn't mind them dining on God's natural landscape. But I can assure you that if I had paid good money for all of the trees, shrubs and perennials in my front yard I would have been livid when I saw these "cute little denizens of the forest" munching on my ferns and hostas.

Many gardeners recently have talked to me about how much damage deer have done to their landscape. They relate stories of having to run deer off their deck each morning. Deer have annihilated their vegetable garden. The list goes on and on.

In Southeast Missouri, we are just now beginning to experience the wildlife invasions that gardeners on the East Coast have been complaining about for many years. Because the Easterners are combat savvy, we can use their know-how to make our own wildlife strategy.

Many of the nurseries on the East Coast are now indicating which plants they sell that are deer-resistant. I should note the term deer-resistant. Notice, I did not write deer-proof. You know from your own culinary experiences that you would normally prefer steak to bologna any day. But when you are really hungry, and bologna is the only thing in the fridge to eat, bologna it is.

Deer taste buds react the same way. They normally prefer herbs, succulent grasses, and other delicacies at dinnertime. But when times get tough and food is scarce anything becomes a potential meal.

I have listed below a group of deer-resistant plants listed in nursery catalogs and gardening magazine articles. You will probably see some plants on this list that you know deer in your neighborhood love to eat. You will also note that some plants deer really dislike are not on the list. I can assure you that this list is not exhaustive.

This list is published as a guide. If deer are eating up your landscape, try replacing those deer pruned shrubs with some from the following list. Good luck!

Send your gardening and landscape questions to Paul Schnare at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699 or by e-mail to news@semissourian.com.