Deer Resistant Plants

Spikes of lightly fragrant peachy-pink butterfly-shaped flowers are produced in summer atop sturdy stems adorned in rich green tropical looking foliage in mid to late summer. The flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and likely pollinating Sphinx Moths as well. The Hardy Peach Ginger, Hedychium coccineum var. angustifolium 'Peach', is a moderately vigorous, rhizomatous, naturally evergreen tropical that acts like a root hardy die-back perennial in areas where freezes occur. It multiplies readily but not invasively. Makes a good cut flower and is resistant to browsing by deer and rabbits. The Hedychium Gingers typically need the equivalent of about 4-6 hours of cool sunlight in a moist to average moist, rich fertile soil with average or better drainage for optimum vigor and flowering. An organic mulch with all of its many benefits is highly recommended especially for new plantings and in zones 7-8. Item# 10032

Won numerous Top Performer trial awards across the US in 2020 as an annual! The large tropical looking new foliage emerges a deep bluish green maturing to rich deep green with a matte finish and are held atop deep purple to near black stems. Heart of the Jungle® Elephant Ear or Colocasia is a naturally evergreen, rhizomatous tropical that acts like a die-back perennial in zones 8-9 returning from the roots and crown in spring. This cultivar does produce runners in late summer to fall which can be removed to prevent spreading it can also be enjoyed as a container plant. Be sure to dispose of any plant parts responsibly to ensure that it does not escape. Elephant Ears grow best in a moist to wet, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny site. Photos courtesy of Proven Winners©, www.provenwinners.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12883

The large rounded clusters of peach colored buds open to yellow tones and quickly mature into a medium purplish pink. HEARTLAND™ Blue Moon Lantana is a new more vigorous cousin to the HAVANA™ series growing to about 18-24" high and wide making these great choices for colorful containers as well as in the garden and landscape. This series is a better choice for a smaller growing Lantana where growing seasons tend to be cooler and shorter. The HEARTLAND™ Lantana series are nearly sterile producing almost no fruit or viable seed thus these plants can spend their energy on flower and nectar production. They start flowering earlier giving you a longer season of color from spring into fall attracting a myriad of pollinators throughout the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Images courtesy of Dümmen Orange, all rights reserved. Item# 13311

The large rounded clusters of flowers open a bright yellow and quickly deepen through shades of orange and red into magenta and purple tones. HEARTLAND™ Neon Lantana is a new more vigorous cousin to the HAVANA™ series growing to about 18-24" high and wide making these great choices for colorful containers as well as in the garden and landscape. This series is a better choice for a smaller growing Lantana where growing seasons tend to be cooler and shorter. The HEARTLAND™ Lantana series are nearly sterile producing almost no fruit or viable seed thus these plants can spend their energy on flower and nectar production. They start flowering earlier giving you a longer season of color from spring into fall attracting a myriad of pollinators throughout the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Item# 12813

The large rounded clusters of flowers open a golden yellow and quickly deepen through shades of orange into fiery reds. HEARTLAND™ Really Red Lantana is a new more vigorous cousin to the HAVANA™ series growing to about 18-24" high and wide making these great choices for colorful containers as well as in the garden and landscape. This series is a better choice for a smaller growing Lantana where growing seasons tend to be cooler and shorter. The HEARTLAND™ Lantana series are nearly sterile producing almost no fruit or viable seed thus these plants can spend their energy on flower and nectar production. They start flowering earlier giving you a longer season of color from spring into fall attracting a myriad of pollinators throughout the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Images courtesy of Dümmen Orange, all rights reserved. Item# 12814

The rounded clusters of flowers open a deep yellow and quickly deepen through shades of orange and finally maturing into pink tones. HEARTLAND™ Sunset 2024 Lantana is a new more vigorous cousin to the HAVANA™ series growing to about 18-24" high and wide making these great choices for colorful containers as well as in the garden and landscape. This series is a better choice for a smaller growing Lantana where growing seasons tend to be cooler and shorter. The HEARTLAND™ Lantana series are nearly sterile producing almost no fruit or viable seed thus these plants can spend their energy on flower and nectar production. They start flowering earlier giving you a longer season of color from spring into fall attracting a myriad of pollinators throughout the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Item# 13312

Steely blue-gray spring and summer foliage is topped by nicely contrasting tan colored airy panicles in late summer and fall. In fall the foliage changes to yellow and finally beige creating winter interest and providing food, habitat, and nesting material for a variety of birds and other fauna. Heavy Metal Switchgrass, a selection of the native Panicum virgatum, with an with a strongly upright, columnar, dense habit that remains upright even through heavy rains. This is a naturally clump-forming herbaceous perennial that is found throughout much of the US and into Canada, except for the westernmost states, and is a major component of the Tall Grass Prairies. Switchgrass was also used by native Americans to build long-lasting, rain resistant shelters. The foliage is a larval host to the Delaware Skipper, Arogos Skipper, Tawny Edged Skipper, Northern Pearly Eye, and Dotted Skippers. Adaptable to a wide variety of soil types and moisture regimes. Item# 12854

Texas big blooms are a hallmark of this rich orange flowered crossvine. This is an absolute show stopper when in full bloom! Produces a huge mass of 2-1/2" orange trumpets with yellow throats in late spring with some flowers throughout summer. A vigorous and disease free southern native. 'Helen Fredel' is another excellent introduction from noted Texas horticulturist and author Greg Grant. Attracts hummingbirds and other pollinators. Item# 9576.

Spikes up to 16-20" high are topped by clusters of tubular blue to blue-violet flowers with a contrasting white bee-guide are produced beginning as early as late spring but mainly in summer, occasionally into fall, and attract a variety of native bees along with larger butterflies. Helmet Skullcap, Scutellaria integrifolia, is a small, 12-20" high, clump forming to short rhizomatous perennial native from East Texas, all along the Gulf Coast and up the Eastern Seaboard into southern Massachussets and New York. This is a common component of the brightly lit understory in the Pineywoods and locally we typically see it in dryer or mesic uplands including hardwood and pineforests in well-drained loamy and sandy soils as well as in more moist sunnier sites. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in a well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. May reseed on exposed soils. Item# 12769

Large dense branched pannicles to 12" x 12" are composed of multitudes of small pale purple tubular flowers are produced over an extended period through much of summer and attract a variety of pollinators including smaller shorter tongued bees like Honeybees as well as larger native bees like Bumblebees. The large palmate foliage of Hempleaf Vitex resembles that of the Hemp plant and thus the specific epithet of "cannibifolia". Like its close cousin the Chaste Tree, Vitex agnus-castus, the Hempleaf Vitex, Vitex negundo var. cannibofolia, is an easy to grow sun and heat loving deciduous shrub that prefers an average to well-drained soil. It appears to have few pests or disease issues and is unlikely to be bothered by deer. Item# 11879

This heirloom produces fragrant, medium to large, semi-double to loose peony form, rosy-pink to salmon-pink flowers edged in a broad white band and are randomly streaked with deep red. The mid to late season flowers, January to April, may be centered by a large boss of gold stamens atop white filaments and attract bees and other pollinators. Herme Camellia, known by a variety of additional names depending on which continent you are on, is an old but still highly prized Japonica type with a vigorous, densely branching, initially upright habit that rounds out with maturity. Provide Camellias with a fertile soil rich in organic matter, with average moisture, and an organic mulch. Images courtesy of Cam Too Camellia Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13227

Wonderfully fragrant, sometimes compared to Jasmine, Sweet Peas, and Rose, medium to large, pale to medium pink, peony form flowers are born in mid to late season (typically March-April). High Fragrance is a vigorous growing Camellia with a strongly upright to open habit that lends itself to tree forms. Flowers may not produce fragrance until the second day after opening. While the High Fragrance Camellia is considered to be hardy to zone 7, we find that the flower buds are cold sensitive and can be frozen at 10-15^oF making this cultivar better suited to zones 8B and warmer or grow it as a container plant where not hardy. Item# 10662

Small, semi-double, crimson red to rose red flowers with wavy and twisty inner petals, and may have white spots, are centered by a boss of contrasting gold stamens atop white filaments. Flowers are produced early in the season, October to December, attracting bees and other pollinators. Hiryu Sasanqua Camellia, a Camellia x vernalis hybrid, is a vigorous growing heirloom Sasanqua with an upright, well-branched, spreading habit and medium-textured small, dark green, glossy foliage that can exceed 12' high at maturity. Its vigor lends it to use as a screen, hedge, or specimen plant as well as tree forms. The Sasanqua Camellias are much more tolerant of growing conditions than standard Japonica Camellias and can tolerate less than perfect soils and full sun to light shade conditions. Images courtesy of Cam Too Camellia Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13228

The large rounded flower clusters, to 12" more across, are of composed of hundreds of dainty pinkish-purple flowers are produced in mid to late summer and into fall atop tall, sturdy, upright to arching, hollow, purple spotted stems with whorled, medium green, rugose foliage. Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium fistulosum but now classified Eutrochium fistulosum, is a long-lived, clump forming, deciduous, herbaceous, native perennial that is typically found growing along stream banks and in other relatively consistently moist areas but it does just fine under average garden conditions as well. Joe Pye Weed's nectar rich flowers attract butterflies and a variety of smaller pollinators including honeybees. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in a moist to wet to average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor, the sturdiest stems, and maximum flower production. Item# 475

The large rounded flower clusters, to 12" more across, are of composed of hundreds of dainty pinkish-purple flowers are produced in mid to late summer and into fall atop tall, sturdy, upright to arching, hollow, purple spotted stems with whorled, medium green, rugose foliage. Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium fistulosum but now classified Eutrochium fistulosum, is a long-lived, clump forming, deciduous, herbaceous, native perennial that is typically found growing along stream banks and in other relatively consistently moist areas but it does just fine under average garden conditions as well. Joe Pye Weed's nectar rich flowers attract butterflies and a variety of smaller pollinators including honeybees. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in a moist to wet to average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor, the sturdiest stems, and maximum flower production. Item# 475

The dense spikes of bicolor mahogany and yellow pea-like flowers lighten into yellow as they age creating an orangish overall effect from a distance and are produced in mid to late spring to early summer depending on your zone. The flowers attract mainly bees. Honey Roasted Baptisia or False Indigo, a hybrid cultivar of US native species (a.k.a. nativar), is a vigorous, heavy and early flowering selection of this clump forming perennial growing to about 36-42"H x 42-48"W. Baptisias are easy and low-maintenance, deer resistant, long-lived, taprooted perennials that produce more and more flowering spikes with each passing year with some plants producing over a 100 spikes on mature plants. Considered a must for the cutflower garden as the spikes have an excellent vase life. Provide them with a full to mostly sunny site in a soil with average or better drainage and moderate fertility. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12898

Perennial of the Year in 2016, Missouri Botanic Gardens Plant of Merit, and a RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! As per Allan Armitage's Herbaceous Perennial Plants, 4th Edition "It has graced European gardens since the beginning of the American Civil War and is still the most popular and highly sought after white anemone today.". The clusters of 2-3" wide, pure white, upward facing flowers with yellow eyes are held high above the mass of deep green foliage on sturdy wiry, 3-4' high stems in fall. The flowers of this easy heirloom attract bees and other pollinators. Honorine Jobert Anemone is an easy to grow, clump forming, slowly spreading, shade tolerant perennial whose mass of 12" high, medium textured, deep green, Astilbe-like foliage makes a nice accent or groundcover even when the plants are not in flower. Anemones make good companions for spring flowering bulbs. Tough, easy, and reliable. Tolerant of *full sun in cool summer climates, elsewhere provide midday and afternoon shade or filtered shade. Provide an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum flowering and vigor. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12778

A sterile exceptionally free flowering Lantana with a compact well-branched habit and improved vigor over similar cultivars that has received high marks in trials across the US. Hot Blooded™ Red Lantana produces rounded clusters of flowers that open golden yellow, deepen to fiery orange and quickly darken to deep brilliant red. The compact habit lends this Lantana for use in containers as a specimen or in combinations as well as in formal and informal garden and landscape settings. Hot Blooded™ Red Lantana develops into a rounded mound of foliage covered in flowers from spring to fall and the flowers attract a wide variety of pollinators including hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other garden beneficials. Item# 12105

Clusters of 2" deep reddish orange upward facing tubular blooms are born from summer to fall, making this a choice plant for fall migrating Hummingbirds. The bright nectar rich flowers are held on sturdy stems above the beautiful bluish gray velvety foliage on this tough little heat and sun loving perennial. Typically freezes to the ground in winter but readily returns in spring. Drought tolerant once well established and does best in well drained soils. Caterpillar host: White Peacock and Malachite. Item# 9563.

5" wide rounded clusters of pure white trumpet shaped flowers are held above the dark green mounds of strap-like foliage on short sturdy 24-30" high stems beginning in spring to early summer and continuing into early fall. Ice Angel™ Lily of the Nile or Agapanthus is a newly introduced vigorous hybrid with a medium sized vigorous habit with excellent flower power. It's still compact enough for colorful low-maintenance container specimens as well as adding a tropical feel to the garden and landscape. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds and the plants are deer and rabbit resistant. Provide a full sun to part sun site in an average moist, fertile, well-draining soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Image courtesy of Concept Plants BV®, all rights reserved. Item# 12297

The bare winter stems are adorned with bright sunny yellow flowers in late winter and early spring attracting mainly bees as pollinators. Once the flowering season is finished this beautiful shrub is adorned with gold, yellow and deep green variegated foliage providing color until autumn when the foliage takes on purple tones until it falls away. The Dwarf Golden Variegated Korean Forsythia was first shared with us by the late great nurseryman Sherwood Aikens of Minden, Louisiana and after much research we believe this to be Forsythia viridissima var. koreana 'Ilwang'. We have also selected the cultivar Solid Gold with solid yellow foliage. This is an easy to grow, low maintenance, compact growing deciduous shrub with an arching, fountaining habit growing wider than tall and maxing out at about 3'H x 3-4'W. Its golden foliage can tolerate full sun but may lighten to cream and yellow but this does not appear to affect the plant's vigor it. Provide a fertile soil with average or better drainage and average moisture. Item# 401