Deer and Native Plantings

Without wolves or cougars (in any permanent residency) on the island, the deer population is doing extremely well. And they love hanging out around our gardens.

Gabriola's deer are like all deer: accomplished browsers. They see a plant, have a sniff and a nibble, or a heaping helping, and move on.

They much prefer tender shoots and new growth of just about every shrub and forb. Everything is on the menu! But there are some native plants they pass over if there are tastier plants nearby. 

This list is from a document on the Pacific Northwest Native Plants website, and we have found on project sites where we were not able to entirely fence out deer or cage transplants, several of these native plants were lightly browsed, or not at all! And of course you need to plant in groups, not just a single plant all alone and looking tasty. Keep in mind, native plants have evolved alongside deer; they can survive some browsing, just not a full-on, repeated assault. If you can fence out, cage or drift-fence your native plantings until they are well established, that will help tremendously.

EVERGREEN TREES

Abies sp., True Firs

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, Alaska Cedar

Picea sp., Spruces

Sequoia sempervirens, Coast Redwood

Tsuga sp., Hemlocks

Umbellularia californica, Oregon Myrtle or California Bay

DECIDUOUS TREES

Acer circinatum, Vine Maple

Betula papyrifera, Paper Birch

Fraxinus latifolia, Oregon Ash

Rhamnus purshiana, Cascara

SHRUBS

Arctostaphylos sp., Manzanitas

Gaultheria shallon, Salal

Mahonia sp., Oregon Grapes

Myrica Californica, Pacific Wax Myrtle

Pachystima myrsinites, Oregon Boxwood

Potentilla fruticosa, Shrubby Cinquefoil

Rhododendron sp., Rhododendrons and Azaleas

Ribes sp., Currants & Gooseberries

Spiraea douglasii, Douglas Spiraea

Vaccinium ovatum, Evergreen Huckleberry

Viburnum sp., Cranberry bush

GROUND COVERS

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Kinnikinnick

Fragaria chiloensis, Beach Strawberry

PERENNIALS

Achillea millefolium, Yarrow

Aquilegia Formosa, Western Columbine

Armeria maritima, Sea Thrift

Aster douglasii, Douglas Aster

Campanula rotundifolia, Harebell

Carex sp., Sedges

Dicentra formosa, Western Bleeding Heart

Erigeron speciosus, Western Fleabane

Grindelia hirsutula, Hairy Gumweed

Iris sp., Irises

Lupinus sp., Lupines

Penstemon sp. Beardtongues

Sisyrinchium sp., Yellow-eyed and Blue-eyed

Grasses