Collectively this handsome Hens and chicks is one of our favorites. Soft pink to lavender and tipped with purple in cold weather. Nice. Large rosettes to 5″ across when happy. Boisterous multiplier and forming large colonies quickly. Rich, well drained soil with regular water to keep up appearances. Containers, rock walls, rock gardens, as a small scale weed smothering ground cover. Full sun to light shade. Even dry shade when established. Detach the babies and give them to a friend. Or chuck them at a Trump voter. Pretty plant. High deer resistance.
Plants with Deer Resistance
There is nothing more frustrating than deer devouring your garden. Deer are a lot like people, they will try anything, especially if its new. So, while there are no plants that are 100% deer-proof here are some selections from our plant list that have proven to be less often on the menu. Of course a fence is always the best defense.
Tip: pay attention not just to the species but the genus as well. Though not 100% impervious, some are much less prone to consumption than others. Pay attention to what they don’t eat, for instance they seldom eat Digitalis therefore, it would be prudent to try other species of Digitalis rather than moving on to a completely different genus. You’d be surprised the choices that you have. To extend that line of thinking. Notice that deer seldom bother Boxwood, therefore it would be wise to try other plants in that family (Buxaceae). You might be surprised to find that Sarcococca and Pachysandra are both in that family and their deer resistance is good too. A few other families that share deer resistance are the Iris family (Iridaceae), Ferns (Dryopteraceae) and Daphne, (Thymelaceae). Remember that you don’t know if they will consume it unless you try and deer have tastes that not only vary they can also change.
If you don’t feel like springing for a fence and you insist that Bambi shine free I’ve had relatively good luck with 1cm x 1cm black bird netting, It can be stretched around tree trunks or posts to provide some measure of protection, and it is almost invisible from a distance. The downside is that deer can become tangled in it and UV seems to break it down. But as a temporary barrier it has merits.
More considerations:
Deer will seek out irrigated plants during the driest parts of the year (wouldn’t you?)
Newly installed plants are often more vulnerable. It’s a deer- it can’t tell the difference between your new favorite plant or an offering of food.
Deer will rut on plants, often small trees- they should be protected if vulnerable. Surround with sheep wire to 6’ tall. Rutting is to remove fur from their antlers or something like that. Either way it really screws up trees when they rub off the bark and branches especially if the tree is very young.
Deer do what nature tells them to do- not to piss off gardeners- innovation and patience are your responsibility.
Climate Adapted Plants for Gardeners in the PNW
Sempervivum arachnoides ‘Robin’
RED Robin! Thats how we remember the name of this snappy Hens and Chicks. Tightly growing leaves in a medium sized rosette to 3″ across. The interior of the leaves are bright red with green leaf tips. Multiplies quickly. Retains these bright colors well throughout the year- where as some can become rather dull in winter. Spring – Autumn it may shoot up a 5″ spike bearing pink/red flowers. The rosette then dies but there are so many offsets that you would never know. Move them around the garden like furniture. Easy. Give them to friends, knock squirrels out of the tree with them. Fun to grow. Interact with your sempervivums and all will be good. Full sun and regular summer water to remain vigorous and bright and showy.
Seseli gummiferum
Moon carrot Moon carrot. Trendy, cool, avant garde and of course its an UMBEL! Umbels are in, Umbels are in! Full sun and well drained soil of average to rich fertility. The second season a crazy number of tall flowers yield groups of umbels. Umbels upon umbels. Can you dig it? To 30″ tall and as wide. Moderate deer resistance Great cut flower. Blooms for up to two months. Easy to grow. Dislikes shade intensely. Biennial or short lived perennial.
Sesleria autumnalis ‘Campo Verde’
Crazy cool grass that is handsome year round- not entering dormancy in winter and they bloom on compact plants for several months. This mediterranean native grass forms lose but not unkempt bunches of arching evergreen foliage. The floral spikes rise another several inches above the foliage for a complicated texture. Full sun, well drained soil, little water once established. To 14″ tall and 20″ wide. 1′ tall in bloom. Very drought tolerant and does not really go through a down time remaining the same aesthetically all year. Accepts regular irrigation with excellent drainage.
Silene alpestris ‘Flore Pleno’
I love the crisp detailed pure white flowers that float like little pieces of perfect oragami on 6″ stems. Forms continuous evergreen patches in well drained soil with light summer irrigation. Full sun to very light shade. Incredibly long bloom season, March to November. And sometimes longer. Excellent in rock gardens, as a trough plant, or container plant in general. Hardy and easy to grow. Makes a precious delicate cut flower. So white. So, crisp and white. Not tolerant of shade. Excellent long blooming small scale ground cover to line paths, create a pool of crisp white flowers. Europe.
Sisyrinchium ‘EK Balls’
Diminutive and flowery little Blue Eyed grass that forms dense colonies of grassy green foliage to just 5″ high and is topped with a non-stop display of single purple flowers. Full sun and rich soil with regular summer moisture. Blooms continuously. Forms spreading colonies quickly when happy. Seldom sets seed. Easy to grow long lived plant for a big floral display. Winter deciduous. This cultivar has been grown in England for more than 100 years. Pretty cool.
Sisyrinchium ‘Quaint and Queer’
Sweet little blue eyed grass with a penchant for being different. Eschewing the purple and yellow and blue flowers commonly assigned to this genus this little freak puts out simple flowers with petals that alternate soft tan and purple. Its a groovy combination and adds a wild flower flare on long thin stalks to 18″ tall. Forms increasing clumps of grassy blue/green foliage. Deciduous in winter. Full sun and rich to average well drained soil with light but consistent summer water when established. A good sized clump can measure about 10″ across after several years. A charming perennial that we have found is excellently adapted to the open mindedness of the west coast as well as climate. Easy. Gay Iris relatives are few and far between. Treasure them. Moderate deer resistance.
Sisyrinchium idahoense var. idahoense
Idaho blue eyed grass is a widespread perennial that forms colonies in full sun, in many soil types, including vernally wet sites. To 18″ tall dark purple flowers open in bright light and close with cloudiness or dark. The blue green foliage is distinctively flat and the plant produces a procession of flowers for 2-3 weeks. Deep purple with a yellow eye and about 1/2″ wide. An integral part of a Willamette valley meadow and only adaptable to full all day sun. Spreads by seed and colonies that increase to form a slender clump. Excellent pollinator perennial and is visited by a wide variety of insects. Found in field that have not been invaded by invasives. Typically its found between native clumping grasses such as June Grass (Koeleria macrantha) Roemer’s Fescue (Festuca roemeri).and with other perennials of the meadow. It can be found from riparian to upland sites. Common associated plants are Carex tumulicola, Dodecatheon hendersonii, Ranunculus occidentalis, Dichelostemma congesta, Clarkia amoena, Camassia, ( C. quamash, leichtlinii ). Full sun, no shade. Water to establish the first season then none in subsequent year. Goes summer dormant and will awaken the following February. Oregon native plant
Sisyrinchium x ‘Stripey’
PRECIOUS and showy blue eyed grass. Sometimes variegation really works on a plant and this is one of those cases. Grassy leaves are soft green with prominent ivory stripes. This backdrop virtually glows in combination with the relatively large purple/blue flowers. Blooms April-July and appreciates rich soil with regular water to really get going and colonize. Excellent rain garden subject. Its best position is possibly in containers. Upright leaves have a pointed top to 6″ tall in bloom. Excellent contrast between the variegation and the flower color. Full sun. Moderate deer resistance. Showy, sweet perennial. Mix with other low perennials. Combine with Acaena inermis ‘Purpurea’ and Dianthus ‘Pink Pyrenees’. Fun to grow. Flowers close tightly at night.
Solanum crispum ‘Glasnevin’
Purple Chilean Potato Vine is a flowering powerhouse. It may be grown as a free standing shrub but its true habit lends it to the treatment of a vine. Fast growing huge canes soar up and then over all the while branching. At the tips dramatic deep purple/blue clusters of flowers each with a yellow central “Beak”. The effect is reminiscent of a hydrangea in form.- and flowers obscure the foliage for the first two months in bloom. To 12′ tall in short order and then larger. Allowed to scale a sufficient tree it can clamber up to 20′ tall in no time. Blooms April to October. Large flush of flowers in late spring then sporadic clusters to autumn. Semi-evergreen to deciduous. Blooms on wood from the current season prune before or after blooming. Regular summer water extends the bloom time well into autumn. Sometimes forms yellow berries- not particularly showy but not messy. Full sun to part shade in rich, well drained soil with light summer water. Hardy to 5ºF and not below. Long bloom time makes it an excellent pollinator plant. VERY showy in bloom.
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