Deer Resistant Plants - F, G and H

Hypericum 'Brigadoon' seems like sort of a cross between a shrub and a perennial. Most hypericums are listed as shrubs, but this glowing gold one sort of crawls across the ground, making a small clump that grows here in morning sun.

Hibiscus are certainly noticed in the garden and deer don't bother them at all. The flowers can be huge. This one is 'Lord Baltimore' and is an older variety. The plants are 4 or 5 feet tall with flowers easily 10 inches across. They like full sun and are happy in a damp place.

If Hibiscus are big and showy, Hellebores are much more subtle. Their claim to fame is that they bloom in late winter or early spring. They like shade - no strong winter sun - and protection from the wind. Colors can range from white to the very darkest. I've done posts on hellebores before, so check back to other blog posts to see some of the other colors.

Goldenseal or Hydrastis is a plant that is native to the Appalachian region. About a foot tall, it blooms in early spring, one flower to a leaf. It likes shade.

This is a plant I'm not necessarily recommending, but deer certainly don't eat it. It is Galeobdolon and is a ground cover. It is gorgeous, especially when in bloom, but it spreads and will kill out anything growing with it. This is, or course, an advantage on a slope where nothing else will grow. More shade than sun, but it will grow just about anyplace.

Not well known, the variegated Fragaria will also spread, but nicely. Sun or shade. White flowers and little strawberries. It is sometimes hard to get started, but once happy, it is not bothered by much of anything.

The Filipendulas are a varied group. There are tiny ones, big ones, variegated ones and gold leaf ones. All have plume-like flowers, some white and some pink. I have one with six foot tall bloomscapes which is native to eastern Russia.

For everything deer eat, there are really quite a few that they don't bother. We fight them in the hostas and daylilies, which, unfortunately make up large parts of our gardens, but if doesn't take much looking to find things that they don't eat. Good luck in your searches. More plants tomorrow.

Jane