Deer Resistant Roses

Deer love to eat roses.  Even roses with terrible thorns have susceptible new growth before the thorns have had time to harden.  Supposedly the new growth tastes best to the deer, but it is more likely that the deer prefer it because of the softness and the increased amount of nutrients in new growth.  New growth can be sprayed with an odor type deer repellent to make sure that deer don't browse at all on the roses.  The roses listed below have been found to least eaten of the many roses available.


Rugosa roses are very durable and can grow in a variety of conditions.  The strong clove like fragrance of the flowers is a deterrent to browsing deer.  Also the rose canes are usually very thorny and bristly.  The leaves are usually leathery and rough.

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BOTANICAL NAME	FLOWER COLOR/FRAGRANCE	COMMENTS	ZONE
Rosa 'Baronne Prevost'	Pink/Very fragrant early summer through fall	Suseptible to blackspot.	4-9
Rosa 'Conrad Ferdinand Meyer'	Pink/ Very fragrant tea-rose type blossoms	Blooms spring through summer.	4-10
Rosa 'Fisherman's Friend'	Crimson blosssoms Hips provide fall color.	Blooms through summer.Shade tolerate.	5-10
Rosa 'Harison's Yellow'	Deep yellow blooms late spring,early summer.	Shade tolerant.	3-9
Rosa 'Penelope'	Coral-pink/Very fragrant late spring to early summer	Doesn't like to be sprayed or pruned.	5-10
Rosa 'Robusta'	Red/Fragrant.  Blooms spring through summer.	Bourbon rose. Thorny.	5-10

Old Garden Roses date back from the 1800's and tend to ramble and be very fragrant.

BOTANICAL NAME	FLOWER COLOR/FRAGRANCE	COMMENTS	ZONE
Rosa 'Alfred de Dalmas'	Bush-pink	Thorny. Rough leaves	4-9
Common Moss Rose	Pink/ Very fragrant	Thorny. Fuzzy calyxes.	5-9
Rosa 'Crested Moss'	Pink/ Very fragrant	Very thorny.  Rough leaves	4-9
Rosa 'Henri Martin'	Dark red blooms/Fragrant	Thorny.	4-9
Rosa 'General Kleber'	Medium pink/Very fragrant late spring to early summer	Thorny.  Rough leaves	4-8
Rosa 'Konigin von Danemark'	Pink/Fragrant.  Blooms late spring through summer.	Very thorny. Rough leaves.Disease resistant	4-9
Rosa 'Louis Gimard'	Mauve-pink/pine scented	Very thorny. Blooms spring to summer	4-9
Rosa 'Madame de la Roche-Lambert'	Pink globed shape.  Spring through summer.	Very thorny. Resistant to black spot and rust.  Susceptible to mildew.	4-9
Rosa 'Maiden's Blush'	Light blush pink/Very fragrant.	Thorny. Shade tolerant.	4-9
Rosa 'Striped Moss'	Red-and-white-striped flowers.	Very thorny. Rough leaves.	4-9
Rosa 'William Lobb'	Deep mauve/Very fragrant.	Thorny and bristly.	4-9
Rosa 'York and Lancaster'	Pink-and-white-striped petals/Fragrant	Very thorny and bristly.  Rough leaves. Partial shade.	3-9

Name	Flower Color/Fragrant	Comments	Zones
Rosa villosa/Apple Rose	Mauve-pink/extremely fragrant	Hairs on rose hips cause irritation.	5-9
Rosa sericea pteracatha	Pink blossoms. Red thorns.	Best in temperate areas like Northwest	5-8
Rosa rugosa 'Alba','Rubra'	Mauve-pink/extremely fragrant	Covered with thorns.  Disease resistant. Tolerates shade.	2-9
Rosa soulieana	White blossoms/orange hips	Very thorny with yellow thorns.  Climber.  Foliage disease resistant.	7
Rosa pimpinellifolia	White to yellow	Very thorny. Fern-like leaves. Good for hedges.	3-8

Think Deer Don't Eat Roses? Watch This Video!!

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