Deer-Resistant Perennial Shrub for Shade

Partial Shade

• Growing sites in partial shade receive reduced light, usually from trees or buildings that block some of the sunlight. Cotoneasters are low-growing shrubs, about 3 feet tall,with stiff branches and large red berries in fall and winter. Planted closely together as a hedge, these plants form an effective physical barrier, as well as being unappetizing to deer. Forthergilla's fragrant, white flowers in bottle-brush shapes appear in spring just before the dark green foliage. It's fall leaves, in brilliant shades of red, orange and purple, are the plant's most impressive feature.

Full Shade

• Buildings or densely-leafed trees create sites with full shade, that require shade-tolerant plants. Summersweet prefers wet soil in the shade and has a compact form. It's height of between 6 and 8 feet is balanced by a width of up to 6 feet, and it has fragrant white flowers in July and August. Forsythia is a fast-growing shrub with deep golden-yellow flowers that bloom in spring, and grows well in urban conditions. The bright green stems of the Japanese kerria have single yellow flowers. This shrub grows to 5 feet tall and tolerates full shade well.

Protective Shrubs

• Planting a wall of thorny, spiny shrubs is another way to deter deer. Some varieties of barberries, including Goldilocks, have thick spiny stems and branches. It's dark green leaves also have prickles and offset its yellow flowers in spring. Sweet briar, Rosa rubiginosa, has single pink flowers that bloom in spring and hide its thorny stems. Its leaves are fragrant with an apple scent, and the plant produces red rose hips in the fall. Another thorny shrub with fall color is firethorn. Its glossy green oblong leaves on spiny branches highlight its white flowers in summer. Firethorn grows to a height of 12 feet.

Plants to Avoid

• Don't grow plants that deer love close to your deer-resistant plants. Deer are attracted to azaleas and rhododendrons. They eat English ivy, dogwood and some hybrid tea roses. Late lilac and Persian lilacs attract deer, as do winged and smooth hydrangeas. Deer make straight for bamboo plants and find them tasty.