The following list provides a catalog of plants that Keys residents have tested and found not to be consumed in significant quantities by Key Deer. They therefore represent gardening/landscaping options for areas that property owners want to enhance with vegetation without having to enclose them with protective fencing or other barriers. SOKD is compiling this list with the aid of scientific literature and direct residents’ input, but in most cases has no direct verifiable proof that the scientific or residents’ claims are universally true. SOKD thus claims no guarantee about the following information.

VERY IMPORTANT: It must be noted that Key Deer can destroy plants and even young trees not by excessively chewing on them but also by mere physical action: 1) Yanking a small plant out of the ground just to “taste it”; 2) by their (male) behavior: there are 2 times each year when Key deer bucks use their antlers to thrash against bushes and tree trunks: 1) in the late spring/early summer when, after growing their new antlers, they need to scrape off their dead “velvet” skin covering; 2) late in each year during the rut season when they are trying to imprint their scent on a territory. In both cases, the bucks can severely damage a bush or a tree by flaying their antlers through the branches and/or stripping large portions of bark from a tree trunk. From our observations, this behavior is vegetation-non-specific – they’ll rip apart an Australian Pine if it’s in the right place, Australia be damned. In such cases, only a physical barrier (we use aluminum rain gutter tubes) strung around the bottom 4 feet or so of the tree trunk will do the job.

ALSO IMPORTANT: It is also important to note that, based on our own experiences and reports from residents who have shared their experiences with various plants, the Key deer eat/don’t eat subject is not black-and-white for many plant species. All very young plants are vulnerable to being destroyed by a curious deer or two. Many other plants may not be continuously targeted but will be occasionally nipped off, especially when other, more preferred vegetation is seasonally scarce. Our list below tries to point this out for species when such detailed info is available, and it is up to each resident to decide how much potential damage they are willing to accept before including a particular plant in their landscaping. From the multiple resident responses to our surveys, it also appears there may be regional differences in the preference by Key deer for a particular plant – regularly eaten in one location (i.e., by the local Key deer sub-herd), while generally ignored elsewhere.

Plants Key Deer Don’t Like to Eat:

1. VEGETABLES AND HERBS

We do not have enough info yet to cover this category, except that Key deer supposedly don’t eat rosemary. We will continue our research.

GROUND COVER  AND OTHER SMALL PLANTS

Alocasia (genus), sometimes called “Elephant Ear,” is a group of tropical large-leaf plants originally from Asia and eastern Australia, but now widely grown around the world. When young, the leaves spread out from ground level, but older plants develop a stem that can reach 2 or 3 feet high. Marathon’s Home Depot regularly carries several species with different leaf profiles, but they do not list the full species names. We have a flat-leaf variety (see photo). Key deer absolutely have no interest in these plants. They don’t even nibble on them, and we never had a case of a buck thrashing his antlers against them.

Bromeliads (bromeliaceae family) also include pineapple. These are a mixed bag as far as being eaten by Key deer: several residents report that the deer only eat the bromeliads’ flowers or roots during the dry season. From personal experience, they gnaw on pineapple leaves enough to cause damage.

Coontie (Zamia integrifolia) is North America’s only native cycad. (Cycads, looking like a cross between a fern and a low-lying palm tree, are one of the most ancient plants still living, with the oldest fossils dating back 300 million (!!) years.) According to Keys resident Ingrid, who has her yard filled with them, the Key deer ignore them completely. The Coonties are very drought-tolerant and host plants for the Atala butterfly. Ms. Ingrid has “hundreds of these butterflies in our yard”.

Crinum Lily (Crinum asiaticum) is originally from Southeast Asia but has naturalized in the West Indies, Florida, some tropical Pacific Islands, and Madagascar. Here in the Keys, we even found it growing wild on islands in the Backcountry. Some residents report that Key deer avoid their plants; however, I’ve had an entire large pot of them eaten down to the tops of the bulbs in the soil by deer. This is despite all parts of the plant being reported as poisonous. 

Orchids: When we moved from California to the Keys in 2016, my husband, a major orchid enthusiast, thought he’d gone to heaven: finally, he could fix all the tree-hugging orchids in their “proper” places on tree branches outside. Well, that enthusiasm disappeared quickly as Key deer picked off his prized plants. Most rhizome-type orchids are very tough and fibrous, so a Key deer will not seek them to feed, but will “munch” on sections of the plant. In one of our SOKD projects (approved by USFWS), we sampled a remote water hole surrounded by native “Butterfly Orchids” which were most definitely gnawed on by deer (not iguanas, judging by the teeth marks). Mounting orchids higher up in a tree is some protection, just remember that  a large buck or doe standing on its hind legs can reach up 6 feet or so.

Periwinkles (Apocynaceae family): These beautiful little plants, flowering in white, pink, or purple, are actually considered alien to the Keys (they are originally from Northwestern Africa and Europe), but they are ubiquitous. They nourish butterflies and add much color to your yard with their long-lasting blooms. They die in their second year, but curiously, Key deer don’t care for them at all until they start drying up in their end-stage, when some deer start chewing on their desiccated leaves and seeds.

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is a tough-leaved small perennial from Africa, usually grown as a house plant, but also grown outdoors here in the Keys. It somewhat resembles a wide-leaved fern. According to residents, Key deer don’t bother it.

BUSHES

Clusia (family Clusiaceae) is usually grown as a dense bush for hedges, but can also grow into a small tree. According to several residents, Key deer ignore it.

Desert Rose (Adenium spp.) is a mixed bag as far as being eaten by Key deer. According to residents’ reports, larger bushes tend to withstand occasional deer browsing, but smaller plants can be severely damaged.

Jamaican Caper (Quadrella jamaicensis): also relatively common in Key landscaping, it can be used to form a live hedge or allowed to grow into a mid-size tree. Butterflies love its showy flowers, and birds feast on its seeds. We have numerous trees on our property, and the deer love to rest in their shade, but do not chew on them.

Jatropha curcas can be considered a bush or small tree. Its seeds contain 27-40% oil that can be processed into a very high-grade biofuel. The plant contains multiple toxins, and Key deer leave it alone, according to residents.

Lantana (genus Lantana) consists of about 150 species native to tropical Americas and Africa, but introduced throughout the world, in some cases now declared pests. (Genus involucrara and depressa are native.) In Florida, it even gave a name to a town north of Miami where I lived for several years. It is usually grown as a bush or hedge. With pretty, multi-colored flowers, it is commonly used in landscaping. However, as Wikipedia states, “Lantana species, especially L. camara,  contain pentacyclic triterpenoids that cause hepatotoxicity and photosensitivity when ingested by grazing animals such as sheep, goats, bovines, and horses. This has led to widespread livestock loss in the United States, South Africa, India, Mexico, and Australia. According to some Keys residents with Lantana bushes on their property, Key deer don’t eat them. However, it is unknown whether Key deer fawns and adults experience fatalities similar to those of other grazers, so we recommend avoiding Lantana for deer safety reasons.

Milkweed (genus Tuberosa) can reach 8 to 10 feet, while Calotropis gigantea can reach up to 15 feet. Native to southern Asia and north Africa, they are cultivated worldwide. In many places, they are THE plant relied upon by Monarch Butterflies. Monarchs are immune to calotropin, a toxic substance present in the plants’ milky sap. It also makes the plant extremely bitter to livestock and deer. 

Oleander(Nerium sp.): a non-native evergreen, profusely flowering bush, very popular in landscaping worldwide, but also very poisonous to animals and people. They are supposedly very bitter to the deer.

Philodendrons are another mixed bag when it comes to Key deer damage. They are definitely not on the deer’s “Favorite” list, but they do nip at them on occasion. So small, young plants are at the greatest danger of serious damage.

Sea Lavender (Heliotropium gnaphalodes) is an attractive South Florida native and endangered evergreen. Loved by butterflies, its small flowers emit a slight scent. Interestingly, in the Keys, Hurricane Irma aided its spread in many dune and sandy shore areas. It can be grown in gardens and even containers, but so far, it is not commonly grown in inland areas of the Keys. The Key deer nibble on the flowers, but leave the rest of the bush alone.

Silver Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus): a common, native bush/small tree in the Keys used most commonly to form live fences. It does not proliferate in the wild like its cousin, the Green Buttonwood, which grows everywhere and is eaten in moderation by Key deer. As far as I know, it isn’t strictly poisonous, but the deer have no interest.

Suriname Cherry or Brazilian Cherry (Eugenia uniflora) is a South American native used in the Keys for hedges or as small trees. It has relatively large, red, edible fruits. According to Keys residents, the deer “eat the fruit but do NOT like the leaves”. This plant should not be confused with “Barbados Cherry” (Malpighia emarginata), which the Key deer do eat, leaves and all.

West Indian Jasmine (Ixora genus), also known as “Starburst” by the Keys resident who alerted us to it, is a bush used as a hedge. The genus has over 500 species, so it’s unclear which of them exist in the Keys, but the local ones are avoided by Key deer.

TREES

Australian Pine (Casuarinas spp.) is native to Australia, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, islands of the western Pacific Ocean, and eastern Africa…and is a seriously invasive species in tropical areas in most of the rest of the world. It is prolific in Hawaii and Bermuda, and in Southern Florida, where it is estimated to have quadrupled between 1995 and 2005. It is a fast-growing evergreen with long, soft needles whose dead needles fully cover the ground around each tree. There have been some major extermination efforts in the Keys, including the beach at Fort Zach in Key West. However, its long-term distribution across many Caribbean areas has prompted some scientists to advocate its acceptance (such as the green iguana). Key deer do not like it, even very young plants.

Jamaican Dogwood (Piscidia piscipula) is a Keys and Caribbean native. It’s also called the “Fishpoison Tree” because natives used an extract to sedate fish, allowing them to be caught by hand. It is deciduous. Once established, it is highly drought-tolerant, grows to 30-40 feet, and produces bountiful small white flowers. We have a number of them on our property in various sizes, and the deer do not touch them.

Jatropha (genus Jatropha) has native species both in the Americas and the Old World. It can grow as a large bush or small tree, with attractive bunches of small, red flowers. Aside from its landscaping appeal, in the 2000s, one species, Jatropha curcas, generated interest as an oil crop for biodiesel production. Jastophora species contain several toxins, including carcinogenic compounds in the seeds. Its sap is a skin irritant, and ingesting as few as three seeds can be fatal to humans. In 2005, Western Australia banned Jatropha gossypiifolia as invasive and highly toxic to people and animals. The reason we are mentioning this dangerous plant on this list is that at least one Keys resident mentioned it in her “Key deer proof” list, so it is indeed being cultivated in the Keys.

Palm trees are mentioned as Key deer-safe on lists of several residents who reached out to us. However, from experience it is important to objectively note that the deer can sometimes cause damage to smaller palms in two ways: 1) they nibble and tear off the tips of fleshy palm leaves (e.g. coconut and thatch palm) but generally do not destroy the whole leaf; 2) bucks trying to rip off strips of “velvet” from their newly-formed antlers tend to use young palms for this and thrash in the leaves violently, sometimes to the point of seriously damaging the plant. (Key deer enjoy pretty much all palm fruits/berries/nuts.)