Ask Margaret
by Margaret Word Burnside
Families of deer wander through my yard,
eating and destroying plants and flowers.
What can I do to keep them away?
T.H., Oldsmar
It seems that many Tampa Bay residents suffer from the
same problem, especially if they live in rural or recently
developed areas. Although the deer and other wild creatures
can be fascinating and beautiful to watch, they definitely
can cause severe damage to your landscape. They must
seek out easily accessible nourishment to replace what was
formerly available to them in their native habitats. Deer, which are
particularly fond of ornamentals, will eat your trees, shrubbery,
vines, grasses, flowers, vegetables, fruits, and even weeds.
Although it is almost impossible to totally deer-proof your yard,
there are several things you can try to at least partially remedy the
problem by making your yard either inaccessible or uninviting
to the deer. The surest, but for most people, probably the most
impractical way to protect your property from deer, is to install a
very tall, possibly even electrified fence. Height is important, since
deer can easily leap over low structures.
If a fence is out of the question, you may want to purchase
a safe, specially made natural oil or chemical deer repellent to
spray on your plants. However, be forewarned that this can be an
ongoing, time-consuming project that may need to be accelerated
during our rainy season.
Another way to discourage the four-legged intruders is by
surrounding your yard, or bordering the most popular deerfeeding
areas, with thorny or scratchy carefree native plants. Just
be sure these protective beds are wide enough to preclude the deer
from jumping over them and far enough away from human and
domestic pet activities to prevent injuries. There are many effective
choices to plant. The lesser-known chittamwood (bumelia) shrub
or tree has thorns in addition to its clusters of whitish flowers
Crotons, which are recognizable by their large,
leathery leaves marked with variations of pink,
red, orange, yellow and green, make a dramatic
statement, yet are relatively safe from deer.
170 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015