Deer and bunny resistant flowers for a pollinator garden - Ask Extension
Hi. I would love to start a pollinator garden. But given the abundance of deer and bunnies in the neighborhood, I wonder which plants would be success...
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Deer and bunny resistant flowers for a pollinator garden #717803
Asked August 26, 2020, 11:53 AM EDT
Hi. I would love to start a pollinator garden. But given the abundance of deer and bunnies in the neighborhood, I wonder which plants would be successful. So far based on what I have seen not getting eaten, I am considering butterfly bush, iris, catmint and elephant ears. Not that they are all pollinating plants. Any other suggestions for flowers, trees or shrubs? Thanks so much.
Wake County North Carolina
Expert Response
You are absolutely correct in taking time to observe what undesirable critters are eating in your yard and planning from there. What is growing in the area will determine what plants will be eaten. However, in years when food is scarce, plants that were left alone may suddenly be eaten. A generally safe rule is that, if you want a plant that the critters like to eat, plant it in the middle of your garden. Plant the deer & rabbit resistant plants as a natural border around the garden. If the first plants they encounter are undesirable, most times deer and rabbit won't venture further (Rabbits love to eat my bush beans so I surround the planting with basil which they don't eat and my bean plants are safe).
Selecting plants is a very personal decision and, for a pollinator garden, you have hundreds of possibilities. Annuals vs. perennials, colors, height, sun vs. shade, dry vs. wet, spring/summer/fall/winter, what types of pollinators do you wish to attract -- so many factors for you to consider and make personal decisions on. But while I cannot decide for you, I can point you to some really great resources to give you ideas and help you decide what you would like to have in your garden. Here are a few:
Debbie Roos, extension agent in Chatham County, is renowned for her pollinator paradise, which she documents extensively online. She has over 200 plants in her garden! https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-bloomlist/
The NCSU Plants Database has over 4,000 plant listings, which can be filtered so you can see only ones with specific attributes. I have taken the liberty of filtering on Pollinators, Resistance to Deer, and Resistance to Rabbits. There are 56 plants for you to choose from. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/find_a_plant/?resistance_to_challenges__id=1&resistance_to_challenge... The filtering is on the left and is very easy to change as your thoughts evolve.
Another aspect of the NCSU Plants Database is the Design Gallery with photos of different garden concepts. New photos are being added weekly. Here is the website of the page with Pollinator Gardens on it https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/gallery/?page=2 A marvelous aspect of this Design Gallery is that the plants shown are listed and you can tell your nursery exactly what plant(s) you are looking for.
https://homegrown.extension.ncsu.edu/2019/08/growing-a-pollinator-garden/ has ideas & lists of plants and can lead you to other websites with additional information (many of them lead back to Debbie Roos and her garden).
Good luck,
Selecting plants is a very personal decision and, for a pollinator garden, you have hundreds of possibilities. Annuals vs. perennials, colors, height, sun vs. shade, dry vs. wet, spring/summer/fall/winter, what types of pollinators do you wish to attract -- so many factors for you to consider and make personal decisions on. But while I cannot decide for you, I can point you to some really great resources to give you ideas and help you decide what you would like to have in your garden. Here are a few:
Debbie Roos, extension agent in Chatham County, is renowned for her pollinator paradise, which she documents extensively online. She has over 200 plants in her garden! https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-bloomlist/
The NCSU Plants Database has over 4,000 plant listings, which can be filtered so you can see only ones with specific attributes. I have taken the liberty of filtering on Pollinators, Resistance to Deer, and Resistance to Rabbits. There are 56 plants for you to choose from. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/find_a_plant/?resistance_to_challenges__id=1&resistance_to_challenge... The filtering is on the left and is very easy to change as your thoughts evolve.
Another aspect of the NCSU Plants Database is the Design Gallery with photos of different garden concepts. New photos are being added weekly. Here is the website of the page with Pollinator Gardens on it https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/gallery/?page=2 A marvelous aspect of this Design Gallery is that the plants shown are listed and you can tell your nursery exactly what plant(s) you are looking for.
https://homegrown.extension.ncsu.edu/2019/08/growing-a-pollinator-garden/ has ideas & lists of plants and can lead you to other websites with additional information (many of them lead back to Debbie Roos and her garden).
Good luck,
