EDDIE SEAGLE: Plants that distract deer

“May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.”

— Peter Marshall

“If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”

— Ronald Reagan

Another holiday was here as our country turns toward celebrating the birth of this great nation. Numerous thanks are expressed to the many men and women in uniform who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Also, to those who have served or are currently serving this great country, we extend our appreciation to each of you. Without your service, we could not say “Happy Birthday to the USA!”

Monday was Independence Day in America! This day is always a special time each year as vacations are taken, families are visited, activities are planned, memories are made, fellowships are shared, good friends are remembered, and new friendships are made while celebrating our nation’s independence in numerous ways in the great outdoors. It is truly a week for building relationships and sharing brotherly (and sisterly) love.

As we address our landscape chores this month, there is one “not so little” pest that wants to annoy us and destroy every effort we make to improve the landscape. Pruning by deer is a problem in many of our landscapes leaving our plants battered and beaten up. However, we are actually the guilty party for invading their spaces through construction and development.

Damage to ornamental plants caused by deer has increased significantly during the last few years. And this damage is both an urban and a rural problem due to increasing deer populations and suburban development strategies into natural woodlands. Deer are selective feeders that usually move slowly through the landscape and eat leaves and twigs from different trees, shrubs, and plants by jerking and tearing leaves, stems, and twigs. Signs of deer damage include jagged edges on parts left intact, and annual and perennial plants which are partially or completely pulled out of the ground. Deer damage to larger trees is to the lower limbs (up to about 5 or 6 feet off the ground which is about the limitation of their reach).

Deer may feed on certain plants is some landscapes and not others. Such feeding patterns may be due to the availability of natural food sources between landscapes and to the taste preferences of the individual deer. However, deer will eat almost any plant rather than face starvation. Deer favorites include narrow-leaf evergreens, daylilies, English ivy, hosta, and about any plant that has been fertilized.

Deer typically avoid prickly, poisonous or strong-scented plants. While many plants are deer resistant, very few are deer-proof. Thus, careful plant selection should be a high priority where heavy deer populations thrive. Plants that offer good deer tolerance and distract deer with their aromatic (scented) foliage are listed as follows.

Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed): Reaching a height of 2 to 4 feet and a spread of 2 to 3 feet, this tough perennial offers clusters of orange flowers in the summer. It prefers placements in full sun (beds and borders) in a well-drained soil and tolerates heat and drought. It attracts many kinds of butterflies and works well in dried arrangements. Monarch butterfly larvae feed on its leaves but seldom harm this native plant. It is slow to emerge in the spring and deadhead faded blooms after flowering before seed development to limit spread. Works well with catmint, coreopsis and fountaingrass.

Chrysanthemum spp. (mums): Reaching a height and width of 3 feet, this renowned fall-blooming perennial offers a wide range of colors from purples and pinks to the fall tones of red, rust, orange, and yellow, and scented foliage. It prefers placement in full sun (containers, beds and borders) in a well-drained soil. They also do well as cut flowers. Works well with sedum, asters, and miscanthus.

Dianthus spp. (dianthus or pinks): Reaching a height of 30 inches and a width of 18 inches, this enchanting, drought-tolerant perennial offers spicily fragrant flowers of pink, red, white, rose, and lavender in the spring, summer and fall and grass-like blue-green foliage. It prefers placement in full sun (containers, beds, borders and slopes) in a well-drained soil. It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, and looks great as a cut flower and in dried arrangements. Works well with perennial geranium, coralbells, and iris.

Kniphofia spp. (red-hot poker): Reaching a height of 5 feet and a spread of 2 feet, this drought-tolerant perennial offers brilliantly colored tubular flowers (yellow, orange or red) above clumps of grassy foliage. It prefers placement in full sun (containers, beds, and borders) in a moist, well-drained soil. Its vivid red-hot pokers create architectural impact in sunny landscapes. It attracts birds, hummingbirds and butterflies. Works well with helenium, artemisia, and salvia.

Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary): Reaching a height of 5 feet and a width of 3 feet, this drought-tolerant, evergreen, herbal shrub offers flowers with shades of pink or blue and leathery leaves with a scent of the Mediterranean. Leaves also add fresh herbal flavor in the kitchen preparations. It prefers placement in full sun (containers, beds, borders and slopes) in a well-drained soil with a gravel mulch. It is known as a symbol of remembrance and friendship, and fills the landscape with aroma, flavor, and activity (pollinating bees are attracted to the blooms). It attracts birds and butterflies.

Solidago spp. (goldenrod): Reaching a height of 6 feet and a width of 3 feet, this perennial plant offers golden flowers (late summer and early fall) with attractive foliage and drought tolerance. It prefers placement in full sun (containers, beds, borders, and slopes) in a well-drained soil. Also, an excellent vase plant and ideal filler plant for fall arrangements. Goldenrod does not aggravate allergies. Its pollen is too heavy to move in the wind and instead sticks to the legs of the insects and butterflies that feed on its nectar. Works well with aster, Russian sage and helenium.

Also, Acanthus mollis (Bear’s Breeches), Caryopteris spp. (bluebeard), Crocosmia spp. (Crocosmia), Epimedium spp. (barrenwort or bishop’s cap), Eupatorium purpureum (Joe Pye Weed), Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage), and Phormium spp. (New Zealand flax).

Always think in terms of native and sustainable plants in the landscape. Keep your hanging baskets and potted plants refreshed with water and food. Remember to feed and water the songbirds. Give your pets the care they need. Do not leave them unattended in a hot car or tied to a tree all day long. Also, be on lookout for children playing and bicyclists riding along the streets and roadways throughout our communities this summer. Don’t drive distracted or impaired, and don’t text while driving. Help the homeless every chance you get. Let’s keep everyone safe!

Many thanks to all who read this column which is an effort to provide each reader with timely and useful information which is a small contribution on my part in “paying it forward” to my readers. We are preparing for a mission trip to the Andes Mountains in Peru this month and accepting donations to assist in its funding. If you would like to donate to this cause, please make a check payable to Heritage Church and mail to Eddie Seagle, Peru Mission Team, 108 Tallokas Circle, Moultrie, GA 31788. We thank you and would appreciate your prayers for a safe journey for our team.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. “Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.” John 6:29.

Eddie Seagle is a sustainability associate, Golf Environment Organization (Scotland); agronomist and horticulturalist, CSI: Seagle (Consulting Services International); professor emeritus and honorary alumnus, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, and associate editor of The Golf Course, International Journal of Golf Science. Direct inquiries to [email protected].