Do Deer Eat Holly Bushes?
Deer generally avoid the spiny-leaved evergreen hollies, whose sharp foliage deters browsing, making them among the more deer-resistant landscape shrubs. Smooth-leaved hollies such as inkberry and the soft new growth of any holly are more vulnerable, and hungry deer will eat almost anything.
Holly is widely considered deer-resistant, and for the classic spiny-leaved types that reputation is well earned. The sharp, stiff leaves of American holly, English holly, and Chinese holly make them unpleasant to browse, so deer usually leave them alone and pass them over for softer plants.
Resistance is not the same as deer-proof, however. The smooth-leaved hollies — inkberry (Ilex glabra), some yaupon selections, and the soft flush of new spring growth on any holly — offer no spines and can be nibbled, particularly by hungry deer in late winter when food is scarce. Young plants are the most at risk.
If deer pressure is heavy, favor the spiniest evergreen hollies, protect new plantings with fencing or repellent until they toughen up, and site more vulnerable types closer to the house. As a group, though, hollies remain one of the more dependable choices for gardens where deer are a constant problem.