WHO KNEW There Are Some Native Plants that Deer Don’t Eat (Usually)?

The following native plants are considered ‘good’ for pollinator gardens. If you have a deer problem at your place, and you don’t want to put up a deer fence, here are some plants that deer don’t (usually) eat. Once you’ve prepared the ground properly, a pollinator garden is easy to care for - although you do need to thin plants from time to time and keep an eye out for invasives. The following plant are great for native pollinators, many are quite tall. Some have man seeds, and you can dead-head them if you don't want it to spread elsewhere. I mulch with pine needles to keep weeds down and allow water infiltration. For information about these plants see Prairie Moon Nursery [website: prairiemoon.com ]

Early Spring:

- Golden Alexander: blooms early, very good for early pollinator. insects.

- Pussytoes: a low, early bloomer that forms a mat, great for early pollinators

- Jacob's Ladder: short, pale purple flowers, lovely in the wind

- Wild Bleeding Heart: short, pale pink flowers that bloom for a long time

- Columbine: tall, native orange, early blooms attract humming birds, tolerates shade

Spring / Summer:

- Coreopsis: lance leafed, narrow leafed, etc

- Perennial sunflowers: many varieties, like sneezeweed, yellow cone flower, etc.

- Evening primrose: very showy, spreads quickly, but easy to pull.

- Black Cohosh and Culver’s Root – both are very tall, attract all kinds of bees

- Wild Indigo – Baptisia, in blue, yellow or white. Compact, showy, nice folliage

- Bee Balm / Wild bergamot: showy, in lavender, purple or red versions

- Milkweeds – Orange Butterfly weed is eye-catching and well behaved. You probably need to start this from seed – (they don't transplant well). Has very deep tap roots. NOTE: This is not rhizomatous like the common milkweed, which can be problematic in a garden.

- Blazing star / Liatris. Well behaved; easy to divide (with knife)

- Purple or Yellow Coneflowers - butterflies and bees love them, birds eat the seeds

- Boneset – a great bee magnet. Has interesting leaves

- Wild Geranium (AKA spotted cranesbill) - well behaved, tolerates shade

- Goldenrods - Both Zigzag and Blue-stemmed are well behaved

- Shrubby St John’s Wort – short, with big yellow blossoms; stalks need to be pruned

Late Summer

- Joe Pye weed, tall, showy pink

- Lobelias: Both Blue (Great Lobelia) and Red Lobelia (Cardinal flower)

- Iron Weed – tall, host plant for many moths