Deer-resistant plants are those that deer tend to avoid due to their taste, texture, scent, or toxicity. Here are examples of various types of deer- resistant plants:
Deer-Resistant Perennials
- Pigsqueak (with leathery dark green leaves)
- Bellflower and Bells and Whistles (compact plants deer avoid if better options nearby)
- Bush Clematis (unfavorable taste)
- Threadleaf Coreopsis (prickly or fuzzy foliage)
- Hardy Ice Plant
- Hardy Baby's Breath (texture, smell, mild toxicity)
- Rose Mallow
- Stoke's Aster
Deer-Resistant Annual Flowers
- Signet Marigold (strong, pungent scent)
- Verbena (blooms from spring to frost)
- Snapdragon (dramatic flower spikes)
Deer-Resistant Shrubs
- Boxwood (strong scent)
- Cinquefoil (finely textured blue-green foliage)
- Butterfly Bush (woody, felty foliage)
- Spirea (unknown reason but deer avoid it)
- Juniper (volatile oils in needles)
- Rosa rugosa
- Ribes sanguineum
- Choisya ternata (Mexican orange, aromatic leaves)
- Hydrangea paniculata
- Buddleja davidii (Butterfly bush)
- Lonicera nitida
- Mahonia japonica (tough holly-like leaves)
Other Deer-Resistant Plants
- Hellebores (shade)
- Herbaceous peonies (full sun)
- Rhubarb (vegetable)
- Skimmia (shrub)
- Jasmine (climber)
Ground Covers and Flowers
- Carpet Bugle (Ajuga reptans)
- Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis)
- Dead Nettle (Lamium spp.)
- Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis)
- Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
- Thyme (Thymus spp.)
- Astilbe
- Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spp.)
- Candytuft (Iberis spp.)
- Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
- Coneflower (Rudbeckia spp.)
- Daffodil (Narcissus spp.)
Additional Notes
- Deer resistance can vary depending on deer population density, availability of other food, and season.
- New plantings should be protected until established.
- Deer-proof fencing is the most effective protection method
These plants are generally avoided by deer, making them good choices for gardens in areas with deer pressure.
