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Title: 7 Plants Deer Will Destroy This Winter (And How to Protect All of Them)
Meta Description: Deer damage to garden plants peaks every winter. Here are the 7 most vulnerable plants in northeast gardens and practical ways to protect each one.
Every fall, homeowners across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding region gear up for deer season — not hunting season, but the months when deer browsing pressure on garden plants peaks. If you're not prepared, you can lose years of landscaping investment in a single winter.
Here are seven plants that consistently suffer the worst deer damage during the late fall and winter months, along with the best ways to protect each one.
1. Arborvitae (Thuja)
Arborvitae are the single plant most frequently damaged by deer in the northeastern United States. Their soft, fragrant evergreen foliage stays accessible year-round and is highly palatable to deer. Once lower branches are stripped, arborvitae rarely regenerate that foliage.
Best protection: Wrap individual trees with a netting wrap starting in October. For rows, use bulk netting rolls.
2. Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are a high-value landscape plant that deer find extremely attractive, particularly their large broadleaf foliage. Damage typically appears as cleanly browsed branch tips and missing leaves from the lower half of the plant.
Best protection: A medium or large netting cover over individual plants from November through April.
3. Holly (Ilex)
Despite their spiny leaves, American holly and many ornamental holly varieties are regularly browsed by deer. The berries and new growth tips are particularly attractive.
Best protection: Netting covers for individual specimens; bulk roll netting for hedges.
4. Azalea
Azaleas are heavily targeted, especially new growth in early spring and the remaining foliage in late fall. Deer will often return repeatedly to a plant they've found palatable.
Best protection: Small or medium netting covers depending on plant size.
5. Boxwood
Boxwood was traditionally considered deer-resistant, but that reputation has eroded significantly over the past decade — particularly in areas with dense deer populations. If deer in your area are hungry enough, they will browse boxwood.
Best protection: Small netting covers provide reliable physical protection where spray deterrents are no longer effective.
6. Euonymus
Euonymus (burning bush and related varieties) is one of the most heavily browsed shrubs across the region. Deer find it highly palatable at almost any time of year.
Best protection: Netting covers during peak deer season (October through March).
7. Hosta
Hostas are technically a summer target — deer will eat hosta foliage heavily from spring emergence through summer. While they go dormant in winter, their early spring emergence makes them vulnerable to deer before many other protection strategies are deployed.
Best protection: Cover emerging plants in early spring or apply netting before deer activity resumes in March.
General Tips for Winter Plant Protection
- Install protection in October, before deer shift to winter feeding patterns
- Check for gaps at the base of any netting installation — deer are persistent and will probe for weak points
- Where possible, create multiple layers of deterrence: physical netting on your highest-value plants, plus spray deterrents on the surrounding area
- Keep records of which plants deer targeted in previous years — they often return to the same locations
The most important thing is to act before damage occurs. Once deer begin regularly browsing a plant, that location becomes part of their regular feeding circuit — and the damage compounds each season.
Browse all Deer-Terrent products for winter plant protection →