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J

Jersey Devil

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Hardiness zone
6b
I have an area along a chain link fence that gets virtually no Summer sun due to a grove of sweet gums. I need to plant perennials on the outside of that fence, but I live next to a small river with deep woods that are the home to deer, rabbits, racoons, possims, fox, and other critters, including an occasional Wile coyote. So... NO SUN, and HUNGRY CRITTERS. What are my odds....slim or none ?? And if at least slim, what to plany ? TYVM in advance
 
My first thoughts are woodland plants which will cope with shade and the river - if you can plant away from the waters edge.

Regarding the wildlife, anything that the deer won't touch will mostly apply to the other animals too. If you can find deer resistant plants I believe most of the other animals won't touch them either. Having deer and hare where I live I've learned a few lessons in recent years. I've posted a list from the Royal Horticultural Society below that will help but please don't think the list is totally fool proof. For instance: Lupins aren't listed as deer resistant but they've not touched those in my garden.

Deer-resistant plants / RHS Gardening

Several species of deer may visit gardens causing severe damage to a wide range of plants. Our list offers a selection of garden plants that are less susceptible to damage.
www.rhs.org.uk www.rhs.org.uk

Of course most animals will not touch something that they know to be poisonous, Foxgloves come to mind as well as a certain amount of bulb flowers like Daffodils.
 
Daffodils are poisonous to dear and they know that so they won't eat them.
I'd check your soil before planting anything. Hellebores like shade and they don't get eaten by anything, so they might be alright with dear.
Is the wood deciduous?
 
Jersey Devil said:
I have an area along a chain link fence that gets virtually no Summer sun due to a grove of sweet gums. ...
Click to expand...
I have an almost identical situation with sweet gums...those "balls" are some kind of pain 😡

What we chose to do was plant a few bulbs of daylilies. They are low-maintenance perennials that are long-lived and tolerant of neglect including reduced sun. Every year they seem to get thicker and more vigorous. They are blooming albeit not as profusely as their full sun sisters...if you look close you can see the sweet gum balls :eek:

sweet gumm daylilies.webp
 
Bergenia is my first thought and will grow in shade, although with zero sun they might be a bit flower shy, but the shape of the leaves would make up for that. Euphorbia is another one, and that has nasty sap that you need to be careful of. Deer and other animals leave that well alone, and it looks smart, and spreads well.
Another plant to try would be Nepeta (cat mint) I think that should be ok in the shade. Other deer resistant plants like creeping thyme and lavender prefer to be in the sun :unsure:
 
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Meadowlark said:
I have an almost identical situation with sweet gums...those "balls" are some kind of pain 😡

What we chose to do was plant a few bulbs of daylilies. They are low-maintenance perennials that are long-lived and tolerant of neglect including reduced sun. Every year they seem to get thicker and more vigorous. They are blooming albeit not as profusely as their full sun sisters...if you look close you can see the sweet gum balls :eek:

View attachment 455
Click to expand...
OMG Those BALLS !! Pain is not the word for them. I like to walk barefoot in the yard. If I pick up 50 balls, there are 50 more on the ground the next day. I swear the trees are laughing at me as I bend over to pick them all up. They are like birds on a wire over the car just waiting for you to finish washing it :ROFLMAO:
 
Sheal... great site, thanks
Logan... yes the wood are all bare in Winter. I get sull sun from Dec. to April if that could somehow help plants that don't die off in Winter
 
I don't want to hog all your time, but I did warn you ;) I need deer resistant but not poisonous. My daughter brings her dogs frequently and one of them is a nut. He rolls a ball around but if a branch, shrub, of anything gets in the way, he takes it as a threat to his ball and rips it out and chews it...I know !!! Hey, ain't my dog :LOL: So if its planted outside the chain link fence it will still spread thru it. Maybe plastic flowers LOL So I guess what I'm saying that the specifications are more than I originally stated. NO SUN...DEER RESISTANT...NOT POISONOUS TO DOGS HA !!! I finally stumped you all :cool:
 

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