Deer Resistant Perennials for Spokane - Zone 5

Since many of my friends around here live with deer in their yards, I'm posting about deer resistant perennials for zone 5 today.  As I mentioned in my post about deer resistant shrubs for zone 5, deer will eat almost anything when they're hungry enough.  But the plants listed here are less likely to be damaged.
Not everything in the photo above is deer resistant, but the lavender 'Walker's Low' catmint (Nepeta, hardy in zones 3-9, 2.5' tall by 3' wide, sun) is recommended for gardens with deer problems.  Plants with silvery leaves like catmint are less likely to be browsed by deer.  The deep violet 'May Night' sage (Salvia, zones 4-9, 1.5 to 2' tall and wide, sun) at the center of the photo is also deer resistant.  Even though many daylilies are not deer resistant, I have seen golden yellow 'Stella d'Oro' daylily (Hemerocallis, zones 4-11, 1.5 to 2' tall and wide, sun/part shade) growing and flowering well in many landscapes with deer.

 Peonies, including herbaceous, Itoh and tree types, are on the deer resistant list.  Above is 'Coral Supreme' (Paeonia, zones 3-8, 3' tall and wide, sun/part shade).

Oriental poppies (Papaver, zones 3-8, 1.5 to 2' tall and wide, sun) like the orange ones above are deer resistant.  Globe alliums like mauve-purple 'Ambassador' (zones 4-8, 3-4' tall, sun) make the list, as do the purple spikes of 'Caradonna' sage (Salvia, zones 4-9, 1.5' tall and wide, sun).

Rosy-orange 'Totally Tangerine' geum (Geum, zones 4-8, 2' tall and wide, sun/part shade) also withstands deer well.

Grassy clumps of violet Siberian iris (Iris siberica 'Caesar's Brother', zones 3-8, 3' tall by 2' wide, sun) are not appealing to deer.

'Emerald Blue' creeping phlox (Phlox subulata, zones 3-6, .5' tall by 3' wide, sun/part shade) are safe from deer.  In the background above you can see a clump of catmint and the 'Coral Supreme' peony  about to bloom.

Tulips are not deer resistant but spring color can be had with 'Basket of Gold' (Alyssum saxatilis, zones 4-8, 1.5' tall and side, sun) above.  Also visible are deer resistant low mounds of purple 'Axcent Blue' Aubretia (zones 4-9, 4" tall by 1' wide, sun).

Spring-blooming Lenten rose (Hellebore, zones 4-9, 1.5' tall/wide, partial shade) is deer resistant.

The sprays of tiny chartreuse flowers above come from deer resistant lady's mantle (Alchimella mollis, zones 3-9, 1.5' tall/wide, part shade).

White 'Bridal Veil' Astilbe (zones 4-9, 2' tall/wide, part shade/shade) brightens shady corners but doesn't attract deer.  Astilbe come in many shades of pink, red, coral and violet.

Midsummer deer resistant plants include 'Golden Sunrise' tickseed (Coreopsis, zones 5-10, 1.5' tall/wide, sun) and all types of coneflowers including coral 'Guava Ice' at left (Echinacea, zones 5-9, 2' tall/wide, sun).

Yarrow attracts butterflies but not deer.  Above is 'Peachy Seduction' (Achilla, zones 4-8, 1.5' tall/wide, sun).  A spike of 'Buzz Purple' butterfly bush is at upper left and is also deer resistant.

Spikes of midsummer mauve Liatris (zones 3-8, 2-4' tall by 1.5' wide, sun) also draw butterflies but are ignored by deer.

'Dazzleberry' (zones 4-9, 6" tall by 1.5' wide, sun) and other types of sedum are deer resistant and bloom in late summer or fall.  The butterflies like these as well.

Fall blooming 'Farmington' Aster (zones 3-9, 2' tall by 1.5' wide, sun) is rarely browsed by deer.

Russian sage (Peroskvia, zones 4-9, 3-4' tall/wide, sun) also avoids the deer with its late summer/fall blooms.

Ethereal Japanese anemones (Anemone robustissima, zones 4-8, 4' tall by 2' wide, part sun) escape the deer but may escape your control as well with their aggressive spreading.  Their flowers are especially welcome in fall.
Hopefully this list gives my deer-afflicted friends a few ideas of what to plant.

Deer Resistant Shrubs for Spokane - Zone 5

A friend recently asked me about deer resistant plants, so here is a list of some shrubs for Spokane landscapes that are purported to be deer resistant.  I don't suffer from deer in my garden, so I can't say for sure.  No plant is deer proof, as deer will eat almost anything when they're hungry enough . . . and some of my friends say the moose trample whatever the deer don't eat in their landscapes.  But generally these shrubs are good bets for yards where deer have a presence.

Above is a beautiful specimen of contorted filbert (Corylus avellana 'Contorta', hardy in zones 3-9, sun or part shade) in an Oregon garden during late winter.  Around here this shrub stays smaller at about 6 feet tall and wide.  I have two younger plants in my yard and adore the beauty of their twisted branches in winter.  In summer the branches are buried in green leaves and are less striking.  I love using the stems in vases.

There are also red leafed versions of contorted filbert like 'Red Dragon,' shown above at center.  The leaves are more red in spring and darken to maroon by summer when this photo was taken.  It does not like intense afternoon heat, so don't place it against a south or west wall.  After planting this shrub last year, I was pleasantly surprised this spring to find that the catkins are also reddish.  I highly recommend this plant for its year round interest.

At the bottom of this shot is a row of 'Blue Chip' butterfly bushes (Buddleia, hardy in zones 5-9, full sun), which are also deer resistant.  'Blue Chip' is a dwarf at about 2 feet tall and wide, but there are various sizes and colors of this shrub.  They really do attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bumble bees like magnets.  I am also quite fond of my 'Miss Molly' butterfly bushes, which are larger at 4-5 feet tall and wide with dark reddish pink flowers.  I prune all my butterfly bushes back hard each spring, and I only plant sterile types that aren't invasive.

The contorted filberts are great for winter interest, and spruce shrubs are also nice for deer resistant beauty during our long Spokane winters.  Above is a dwarf globe blue spruce (Picea pungens 'Globosa', hardy in zones 2-8, full sun).  The needles are an especially bright sky blue in spring and they remain a nice grayish blue all winter.  This shrub grows slowly to 3-5 feet tall and 5-6 feet wide.  Another good spruce shrub is the dwarf Norway spruce (Picea abies 'Pumila', hardy in zones 2-8, sun), which is dark green and grows slowly to 3-4 feet tall and 3-6 feet wide.

Evergreen boxwoods are deer resistant and are available in many shapes and sizes.  Above are several 'Green Tower' columnar boxwoods (Buxus sempervirens 'Monrue', hardy in zones 5-9, sun or shade) which grow to 9 feet tall and 2 feet wide.  I also grow oval-shaped 'Green Mountain' (5' tall/3' wide), rounded 'Green Velvet' (2-3' tall/wide) and tiny 'Wee Willie' (2' tall/wide).  Some boxwoods turn bronze (brown) in winter, but all of those listed here stay green all year if they aren't dried out too much by wind.

Spokane is known as the Lilac City, and lilacs of all types are fairly deer resistant.  Above is 'Katherine Havemeyer' (Syringa vulgaris, hardy in zones 3-7, 12' tall/10' wide, sun or part shade), which is a large old-fashioned type.  Compact 'Miss Kim' lilacs remain in the 6-8 foot range while offering fragrant lilac flowers and lovely maroon fall coloring.  There are many dwarf lilacs available now for smaller spaces.

Spireas are deer resistant, but many of them seem boring to me.  I am very fond of 'Mellow Yellow' above (Spiraea thunbergii 'Ogon', hardy in zones 4-8, 3-5' tall/wide, sun or part shade). whose chartreuse leaves appear early and stay remarkably late in fall.  This shrub gets unruly after several years of growth and needs to be pruned back hard in late winter to restore its nice shape.  I also love 'Snowmound' spirea (Spiraea nipponica 'Snowmound') which grows to a similar size but with dark green leaves on arcing stems.  Both of these shrubs are covered with white flowers in spring.

The red twig dogwoods above are plain green shrubs in summer but their red stems are pretty in winter and the deer don't bother them too much.  The full size versions can reach 9 feet tall, but in the photo above you see a wave of dwarf Kelsey dogwoods (Cornus sericea 'Kelseyi', hardy in zones 2-8, sun or shade) that stay at 2.5-3 feet tall and wide.  Young stems growing in full sun have the brightest color, and they respond well to hard pruning.  Other versions of this shrub boast yellow twigs and variegated or chartreuse leaves.

'Blue Mist' fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii 'Blue Mist', hardy in zones 5-9, 2-3' tall/wide, sun or part shade) is a new addition to my garden.  After hearing the employees at my local nursery rave about this plant for several years, I finally found a spot for one.  Last year I loved the waxy blue leaves in summer and the kaleidoscope of yellow, orange and red leaves in fall. In spring it boasts fragrant white bottle-brush flowers and it is listed as deer resistant.

Columnar 'Fine Line' buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula 'Ron Williams', hardy in zones 2-7, shown above at back left, sun or part shade) grows vigorously to 5-7' tall and 2-3' wide at maturity.  Some buckthorns are invasive, but this type produces fewer seeds and most of the seeds are sterile.  Again, the deer don't bother this one too much.  It makes a nice accent or a row of them will create a narrow hedge.

This last photo includes two other deer resistant shrubs:  lavender (the one shown is Thumbelina Leigh, hardy in zones 5-9, 1' tall/wide, sun) and a 'Royal Purple' smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple', hardy in zones 4-8, sun).  This type of lavender is dwarf and sends out two flushes of bloom if I shear it back after the first flush.  This type of smoke bush can grow quite large - 15 feet tall and 10-12 feet wide - but I plan to cut it back almost to the ground each year to keep it more compact.  In the photo you can see the lovely burgundy coloring of its leaves, and there are also chartreuse and smoky green versions.  

This list is just a start, and more information about deer resistant plants for Spokane can be found using Monrovia's Plant Search HERE.  Select the Zone 5 Hardiness Zone (supposedly Spokane is a zone 6 but I stick with zone 5 to be safe) and the other attributes you want, including Deer Resistant at the bottom under Problem/Solution.  

My friends with deer problems have highly recommended Deer Fortress, which I have seen at my local nursery and on Amazon.  This small black canister contains dried deer blood to signal danger and keep deer away (we can't smell it).  You only have to set it out once a year, unlike sprays that have to be reapplied after rain.  

Good luck to Anya and all the rest of you who are afflicted with hungry deer!

April 16, 2013

Backyard Landscaping Day 1: Quaking Aspen Root Barrier

The landscaping crew started work on our backyard project today.  I've been excited about this project for months, but I began the day feeling seriously stressed after one of the workers dug out my dogwood tree to make room for their heavy equipment to access the backyard.  I expected he would take as much care with the roots as my husband did when he transplanted that tree two years ago.  I was wrong.  I'm not sure if my tree will survive with its newly tiny root ball, but I'm reminding myself that the tree is replaceable if the worst happens.  I also stressed over the damage done to the new growth on my plants when the temperature dropped to 23 degrees F last night.  Ouch.  Deep breaths. 



Speaking of deep, today was spent digging a big trench along the back fence.  Our neighbors across the fence planted a bunch of quaking aspen trees all along the property line, and I knew that the trees' famously aggressive roots would take over my backyard if we didn't create a barrier.  An older aspen tree near the corner was already producing dozens of baby aspens growing up from its roots in my strawberry patch. 



And here are some of those blasted aspen tree roots that have already grown many feet into my yard.  After the workers left, I climbed down into the trench and pulled or cut out as many roots as I could from my soil.  Even though I avoid using herbicides/pesticides in my garden, we'll have to use Roundup on the roots that get left in our ground after the project.  Tomorrow the workers are going to install a Plexiglas barrier that extends four feet deep and stretches across the entire back fence and part of the side fence.  There will be a six inch to one foot gap between the barrier and our fence, and we'll have to spray the baby trees that pop up in that area with Roundup each year.  That was the best idea the landscapers could come up with the prevent the aspens from taking over our yard.



Here is the current view from an upper window.  My kids think the big equipment and giant piles of dirt are very cool.  I think they're pretty cool as well, though I wish this part of the project wasn't costing thousands of dollars.  Looking on the bright side, at least the neighbor's aspens will provide a nice screen of leaves from our yard as well as theirs while my slower growing trees are still maturing.  



I worried plenty about my trees as the worker maneuvered the bobcat around while digging the trench.  It was a tight squeeze, but thankfully only one small branch was broken.  I'm praying for similar results tomorrow when the trench gets filled in.  Then the landscapers will remove the lawn from around the edges of the yard and install the encircling flagstone path.  More pictures to come!

July 12, 2010

Why You Should Stake Delphiniums

I never got around to staking my 'Pagan Purple' delphiniums this year. I was kind of hoping that since they're overcrowded in a bed with a large lilac shrub that they'd all kind of hold each other up. Apparently I was wrong.



Here is a picture of one of my backyard flower beds taken a couple of days ago. You can see Campanula 'Pearl Blue' down low, a crimson 'William Shakespeare 2000' english rose shrub, violet 'Caradonna' salvia, and the giant 'Pagan Purple' delphs. The tallest ones are over six feet (two meters) tall.



Here is the same view from this afternoon. We've had a very windy day today. Even the rose has flopped over. Its stems should get stronger with a few more years of growth, so I'll not worry about staking it. But I definitely need to remove a few of the delphs and stake the ones that are left for next year.



This is a pretty shot, despite the fact that the delph stalks are pointing the wrong direction. In the background are bleeding heart foliage and 'Lime Rickey' heucheras. I love lime green and deep violet-blue together.



If I didn't love their flowers so much, I'd never put up with all the work needed to grow good delphiniums. They need rich, moist soil. They need extra stalks removed in early spring so the clump doesn't become too congested (I didn't do that either this year, oops). And staking, of course.



The good news is that you don't have to feel guilty about chopping off a ton of flowers to fill up a vase when the stalks are already laying on the ground. Do you notice how the vase looks like it's leaning? The wind knocked it over a couple of seconds after I took this shot. Nothing broke, though, and I put the flowers in a bigger vase.



I also cut some of the crimson roses and put them in a vase with delphs to give to a friend. These are some seriously pretty flowers! Although the delphiniums don't smell, the 'William Shakespeare 2000' roses have a very strong, romantic scent.



At least I caught a shot of the bed before the wind trashed it. Live and learn.

October 3, 2009

Roses, Virus and William Shakespeare

When things go well with roses, no other flower can compare. Especially with David Austin's english roses, like 'William Shakespeare 2000', pictured above and below. Despite it's young age - I planted this shrub earlier this year - it gave me quite a few scrumptious blooms throughout the summer.


Is this rose red or crimson or pink? All three, depending on the day. It smells exactly the way a rose should smell, or so my friend Robyne said when I made her sniff it. Old rose fragrance + deep crimson coloring + english rose shape = Romance with a captial 'R'.


Unfortunately, when things go wrong with roses, they can go Wrong with a capital 'W'. Above is a picture of the star-crossed 'LD Braithwaite', another red english rose that arrived at my doorstep with an incurable virus. At first I couldn't figure out what was causing the strange yellow coloring on the leaves. I've seen iron deficiency (chlorosis) before, but this didn't look like that.


I studied pictures of rose virus like this one, but wasn't sure of the diagnosis until I emailed my pictures to Dr. Malcolm Manners, a rose expert and horticulture professor at Florida Southern College. He confirmed that it was virus, a 'classic case' with dramatic coloring.


Apparently a huge percentage of grafted roses have been infected with rose viruses that were carried by the rootstocks (grafting seems to be the only way to spread the virus). I read some estimates that a few years ago, nearly all of the roses sold in the US were infected with rose viruses, though many of them didn't exhibit dramatic symptoms like mine. Viruses reduce the vigor of roses even when the leaves aren't discolored, and there isn't any way for home gardeners to cure the problem. Reportedly, rose companies are cleaning up their stock now, and own-root roses rarely have viruses.


After sending a few emails and a bunch of pictures and Dr. Manner's diagnosis, David Austin Roses finally agreed to replace the rose next spring at no charge. Meanwhile I'm enjoying my friend Shannon's 3 'LD Braithwaite' roses, none of which appear to have a virus. I'm looking forward to more healthy red roses for arrangements like the patriotic one above, with true-blue delphinium and Meidilland White roses (another favorite of mine).

December 18, 2008

Abraham Darby's Demise Decoded

For non-rosarian readers, I should explain that the disease that troubled my Abraham Darby rose bush (see my last post) was rust. The cloud of orange dust around the poor bush came from the fungal spores that spread the disease.
The big three rose diseases are blackspot, rust and powdery mildew (downy mildew is a more serious rose disease but is thankfully rare and so isn't included in the short list). All of these are caused by fungi. Blackspot (BS) and rust spores need 4-5 hours of moisture to begin growth, so they're more of a problem in humid and/or rainy climates than in places like Spokane. Powdery mildew shows up when days are warm and nights are cool, and it doesn't need moisture to germinate. I see it around here in late summer and fall.
Dee at Red Dirt Ramblings just posted a great treatise on blackspot control, and many of her practices will help with rust control as well. The best prevention for powdery mildew seems to be ample water, as water-stressed plants are more susceptible to the disease. I'm not well versed in all the organic and non-organic fungicides out there, but I like Dee's suggestion to start with the least toxic treatments first.
In his book about English roses, David Austin noted that rose-growers of yesteryear used to get a sense of satisfaction from all the spraying required for healthy rose bushes. Gardeners nowadays are wiser or lazier or both and don't want to deal with the sprays, so disease-resistance has become an important aim for hybridizers. Of the english roses, 'The Mayflower' is advertised as being completely resistant to the big three rose diseases, and most of the newer english roses are listed as highly resistant. After my Darby debacle, disease-resistance is a priority for me when selecting new roses.
Added January 15, 2015 - I decided to give Abraham Darby another try a few years ago, and I haven't seen a speck of rust on him here in Spokane.  I'm so happy to once again enjoy his sumptuous flowers and citrus scent in the garden and in the vase.

December 15, 2008

Abraham Darby's Demise

The sad affair began in the spring when my friend Sandy introduced us. Abraham Darby had shown up on her California doorstep the week before with nothing but a cardboard box for a home. Despite his obvious poverty, he offered her a beautiful peachy-pink blossom and requested a place to stay. Though Sandy was impressed with his effort – how did he manage to produce a flower for her while inhabiting that little box? – the peachy-pink color didn’t quite fit with the cool pinks around her home. Not wanting to turn the poor guy away, she brought him over to meet me.
My color scheme wasn’t as restrictive as Sandy’s, and Abraham promised more of those wonderful blossoms. So I found a place for him near the northwest corner of my home. It was dark and damp there in the mornings, and he really deserved a better spot, but my space was rather limited while living in the northern half of a little duplex.
Abraham settled in and soon offered me more of his beautiful, fragrant blossoms. He nodded with delight as I sniffed and sighed and sniffed again. I found myself looking forward to seeing him each day. My husband rolled his eyes when I talked about Abraham. Was he jealous? My heartbeat did rise a bit when I walked past dear Abe, but I didn’t think that made me unfaithful. If I ever tried to get too close, Abraham quickly reminded me to give him some space. He was a just a bit prickly.
Sadly, our relationship soon changed. I guess I was expecting a lot from him without giving as much in return, and the stress made him vulnerable to illness. One day I noticed a few orange sores troubling him. I made the proper inquiries and brought home some spray that was supposed to cure his problem. Applying the medicine was inconvenient and unpleasant, but I loved him enough to do it regularly for a while. I changed from the delighted recipient of Abraham’s generosity to his caretaker.
Sandy heard of the problem and inquired regularly about her old acquaintance. How is Abraham today, she would ask. The medicine didn’t completely cure the problem, though regular application kept the poor guy from completely succumbing. As fall arrived, Abraham became sleepier and sleepier. He slept through the dark days of winter, and I hoped the rest would do him good.
Spring arrived, and Abraham outdid himself for our first anniversary. He handed me a beautiful bouquet with a tangy lemon scent. I smiled and hoped our future together would bring many more anniversary bouquets. But the sores soon reappeared in profusion. If I happened to bump into Abraham, I was quickly covered with orange filth. He felt embarrassed, and I felt guilty. I knew I should be spraying him more often, but the inconvenience kept me procrastinating.
In desperation, I moved him from his bed to a place where he’d be farther off the ground and could enjoy more of the morning sun. But the upheaval was like a nail in the lid of his coffin. By this point he was too weak to appreciate the warm, dry sun. I found myself sighing in sorrow instead of delight.
The time came for me to leave California and move far, far away. I briefly considered bringing Abraham with me and trying to better control his illness, but knew it would be a doomed effort. His disease had progressed too far, and I worried about him infecting others in my new home. I had to abandon him.
My heart was heavy as I left Abraham behind in a cloud of orange dust. He had given me so much joy, and I tried to focus on those memories instead of the disappointment, guilt and sorrow that troubled the latter part of our relationship.
I still think of Abraham Darby when I see a peachy-pink flower, though no other rose could compare with his magnificent blossoms. I remember his fragrance when I bite into a tangy-sweet slice of lemon pie. Occasionally I see his picture somewhere and am tempted to renew our relationship. Maybe the dry air here in Spokane would be a tonic to his health, and I do have a spot where he could bask in the morning sun. Maybe I'll call and invite him over someday, but I hesitate for now. He broke my heart once, and I’m not ready to risk it again.

Meet Abraham Darby

Added January 15, 2015 - I decided to give Abraham Darby another try a few years ago, and I haven't seen a speck of rust on him here in Spokane.  I'm so happy to once again enjoy his sumptuous flowers and citrus scent in the garden and in the vase.

June 29, 2008

Fungus Gnats

My sister asks what she can do about the tiny flies on her indoor cactus plant. First of all, the tiny flies are called fungus gnats. These pesky insects pose little or no threat to plants, but they get annoying to us people. The best treatment/prevention is to avoid overwatering. So, little sis, just let your cactus dry out for a while in between each watering. For most houseplants, you should let the surface of the soil dry out before watering anyway. With a cactus you could let it get really dry in between waterings. If fungus gnats get too bad, some people recommend putting an inch-thick layer of sand on top of the soil. There are also sprays - like Gnatrol - to kill the little buggers.
I really should get some sand on all my houseplants. Last winter I grew about 100 delphiniums from seed in several windows around my house. I needed to keep the soil moist for the little sprouts, which led to an unfortunate increase of fungus gnats. The delphiniums are happily planted outside now, but the gnats live on in my numerous pothos, philodendrons and other houseplants. I really hate it when one flies up my nose when I'm falling asleep . . . and I'm embarrassed to think of what visitors must think if I don't explain the situation. I'll have to put sand on my next shopping list!