Deer Resistant Willow Varieties: A Real-World Test

How different Salix cultivars hold up when the fencing comes down.

If you are planting willow, protecting your crop from local wildlife is likely top of mind. For years at Dingdong’s Garden, our main willow bed grew safely inside a fenced perimeter, leaving us with minimal data on how local wildlife treats different cultivars.

That changed recently when we expanded our operation. With about 9,000 willow cuttings newly planted in an unprotected field, we inadvertently set up the perfect experiment to identify truly deer resistant willow varieties. The results were immediate, clear, and highly variety-specific.

[embed]Video Overview of Deer Resistant Basketry Willow Varieties

The Varieties Deer Love to Browse

The local deer wasted no time exploring the new patch. Their tracks were unmistakable — their hooves even punched right through our protective weed fabric as they walked the rows.

Salix triandra: ‘Black Maul’, ‘Wissender’, and ‘Nord de Villaines’

When comparing the unprotected field to our clean, untouched growth inside the fence line, the damage on certain varieties stood out. Deer are highly attracted to Salix triandra varieties and will repeatedly return to eat them.

Salix triandra was not deer resistant

We observed significant browsing on:

• Salix triandra ‘Whissender’
• Salix triandra ‘Black Maul’

The deer regularly nibble on these plants. While they haven’t completely destroyed every single stem of our ‘Nord de Villaines’ yet, their behavior across the rest of the species makes it clear that it is only a matter of time.

Truly Deer Resistant Willow Varieties

Just a few feet to the left of the damaged crops, the story changes completely. Salix purpurea varieties show excellent natural deer resistance and remain entirely untouched.

“While deer will repeatedly target Salix triandra varieties, they walk right past Salix purpurea without taking a single bite.”

Salix purpurea: ‘Oka’ and ‘Eugene’

Even with deer actively walking through the rows and stepping on the weed fabric, two specific varieties have shown total immunity to the local pressure:

• ‘Oka’: This variety is growing clean, healthy, and completely ignored by the herd.
• ‘Eugene’: Planted right alongside the ‘Oka’, this Salix purpurea variety is also completely unbothered.

Salix purpurea was deer resistant.

Choosing the Right Willow for Your Property

Fencing is always the safest bet for a new willow bed, but genetics clearly play a massive role in wildlife pressure. If you are planting in an open area with high deer activity, your variety choice matters.

If you plant Salix triandra varieties outside a fence, they will require physical protection to survive. Conversely, choosing a Salix purpurea strain like ‘Oka’ or ‘Eugene’ allows you to grow a clean crop without the added expense of wildlife fencing.

What are your experiences with deer pressure in your cutting gardens? Leave a comment below and let us know which varieties hold up best in your region.