We have lots of deer traffic going through our yard with our herding dog chasing them out of our yard several times per day. They have nibbled on our crepe myrtles, nandina plants, and even our opulus rosea viburnum. We have a large rear property and need privacy screening under / near white pines. This area is one of the deer highways through our yard we hope to interrupt. Also, there is a private residence that can be seen just behind the trees and we hope to find the appropriate screening.

My fingers and toes are crossed there is a great shrub or a combination of shrubs and grasses that will survive in this area. Appreciate any help you might be able to offer.

Suggestions have been Ninebark Coppertina and Arrowwood viburnum.

Hi and welcome, Carol. We need to know your location to recommend plants that will work for you. If you could fill in your profile with your city/state/country then it will come up every time you post, in the upper right corner. Just a zone doesn't cut it for recommending plants.

What a very pretty outlook. Dry shade is a bit tough for starting new plants especially where there will be competition from tree roots. Is there a water supply out there so you can water the new plants regularly until they get established?

Down side to that is if you live somewhere that is normally quite dry, watering the new plants will also attract the deer.

Note that a screen of any kind (except a fence) is going to attract deer. It would be a place to hide and feel safe for them (not to mention a dining area). I have no idea what a "large property" means, but if it is big enough to try to route or entice the herd away from your problem area, I would do that first. Not sure what deer do or don't do, like or don't like in your part of the country, wherever that is, but I know it's not the north.

Deer love any type of viburnum up here in the winter, not a good choice in my opinion. Prickly ash would be a good deterrent, for both deer and you, but a great host for swallowtail butterflies.

I just thought of a way to water your new plantings AND scare away the deer - I have one of these and they are excellent! The only way I have ever managed to get a harvest off my lychee tree here is to use this wonderful gadget:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000071NUS/

It scares off birds, squirrels, rodents and even raccoons because the motion detector does work just fine at night. Sprays 3 or 4 short bursts very suddenly and makes lots of noise in the process. If you can position it so that the water goes on the plants it might be a great thing for your situation there.