Native Plants
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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Tuesday - November 10, 2009
From: Hope, NJ
Region: Northeast
Topic: Deer Resistant
Title: Does deer repellant really work from Hope NJ
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Does Deer Stopper by Messina Wildlife really work as an organic pest repellent?ANSWER:
Sorry, we're not into product testing. There are no telling how many "tried and true" products for discouraging deer and other animals from foraging in your garden. In our Special Collections, we have a list of deer-resistant plant species. Quoting from that list:
"Few plants are completely deer resistant. Several factors influence deer browsing including the density of the deer population, environmental conditions such as drought, and plant palatability. Deer tend to avoid plants with aromatic foliage, tough leathery and/or hairy or prickly leaves or plants with milky latex or sap."
Apparently the fact that deer tend to avoid aromatic plants has inspired many producers to make "sweet-smelling" (to you) sprays that will theoretically repel deer. Every one of those products, in very small print, will have a disclaimer saying that whether or not your plants will get eaten depends on the number of deer feeding in your area, the food supply, and the weather. In other words, if they are hungry enough, they will eat just about anything, even if it stinks!
Deer are a very common problem here in the Austin area, too, including the grounds of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The severe drought we have had in the last two years has made the problem worse. Another problem is that some people think they're taking care of Bambi, and feed the deer. This just encourages the deer to hang around that area, accustoms them to being fed, and makes it possible for them to reproduce more prolifically.
You'll have to trust us when we say that if we knew the perfect way to keep deer out of the garden, we would tell you, honest!
More Deer Resistant Questions
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March 08, 2013 - I have planted three anacacho orchid trees, however we have a lot of deer around us. Is this a tree they will want to eat? Do you have any ideas to keep deer away?
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Deer resistant plants for New York
May 10, 2009 - My home is near the woods and so we get plenty of deer munching on everything but we also have shade and dappled light in the yard. I need to figure out plants that would thrive under these conditions...
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Arizona centaury near Lost Maples from Austin
November 05, 2012 - I found a clump of Arizona centaury growing/blooming beside a road near Lost Maples State Nat. Area in the Texas hill country last week. Centaurium calycosum is the scientific name. I have 2 questio...
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Using Sound to Repel Deer
July 15, 2013 - We have several motion activated water scarecrows for deer intrusions and have heard about sound scarecrows. Do you know if they are effective and do they bother pets such as cats, birds, etc.?
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Plants resistant to white-tailed deer from Austin
April 01, 2013 - Could you tell me whether American Beautyberry and Blackfoot Daisy are usually eaten by our Austin white-tailed deer, or not? I get different answers in different publications. It would be great to ...
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