Add these deer-resistant plants to your garden
Deer-proof plants? Sorry, there’s no such thing — hungry deer will eat almost anything. But, there are plants they usually avoid and are considered deer-resistant. However, much depends on how hungry the deer are and what other options they have to choose from. This list is a great place to start in your search for deer-resistant plants for your garden.
Deer are one of the most common problems a gardener can face. These appealing but pesky creatures find home-grown flowers and vegetables delicious…and they can devour hundreds of dollars-worth of plants in no time at all. Of course, unsightly fencing can work. But arming yourself with a shopping list of deer-resistant plants is a guaranteed way to put the fun back in nursery visits.
Deer-resistant plants usually have foliage with these characteristics:
- Sticky
- Prickly
- Thorny
- Hairy
- Bleeds thick sap
- Pungent scent
For years Rutgers University Cooperative Extension has been testing and rating plants on how palatable they are to deer. Check out our short list of plants below that deer usually avoid including annuals, perennials, biennials, shrubs and trees. You can see the complete list of results from Rutgers here.
Deer-resistant annuals
| Common name |
Botanical name |
| Ageratum |
Ageratum spp. |
| Bells of Ireland |
Moluccella laevis |
| Flowering tobacco |
Nicotiana sylvestris |
| Larkspur |
Delphinium spp. |
| Lobelia |
Lobelia spp. |
| Marigold |
Tagetes spp. |
| Orange coneflower |
Rudbeckia fulgida |
| Pot marigold |
Calendula officinalis |
| Purple fountain grass |
Pennisetum setaceum |
| Salvia |
Salvia spp. |
| Sweet alyssum |
Lobularia maritima |
| Zinnia |
Zinnia spp. |
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Deer-resistant biennials
| Common name |
Botanical name |
| Foxglove |
Digitalis purpurea |
| Lupine |
Lupinus spp. |
| Rose campion |
Lychnis coronaria |
| Snapdragon |
Antirrhinum majus |
Deer-resistant perennials
| Common name |
Botanical name |
| Astilbe |
Astilbe spp. |
| Aster |
Aster spp. |
| Baptisia |
Baptisia spp. |
| Bee balm |
Monarda spp. |
| Bergenia |
Bergenia spp. |
| Butterfly weed |
Asclepias tuberosa |
| Black-eyed susan |
Rudbeckia hirta |
| Blanket flower |
Gaillardia spp. |
| Bleeding heart |
Dicentra spectabilis |
| Bloody cranesbill |
Geranium sanguineum |
| Brunnera |
Bruneria macrophylla |
| Bugbane |
Actea spp. |
| Bugleweed |
Ajuga spp. |
| Catmint |
Nepeta x faassenii |
| Crinkle-leaf creeper |
Rubus pentalobus |
| Epimedium |
Epimedium spp. |
| Ferns |
n/a |
| Foam flower |
Tiarella cordifolia |
| Forget-me-not |
Myosotis spp. |
| Germander |
Teucrium spp. |
| Goldenrod |
Solidago spp. |
| Hellebore |
Helleborus spp. and hybrids |
| Iris |
Iris spp. |
| Lamb’s ear |
Stachys byzantina |
| Lamium |
Lamium maculatum |
| Lavender |
Lavandula spp. and hybrids |
| Lungwort |
Pulmonaria spp. |
| Monkshood |
Aconitum spp. |
| Oriental poppy |
Papaver orientalis |
| Pachysandra |
Pachysandra procumbens |
| Peony |
Paeonia spp. |
| Russian sage |
Perovskia atriplicifolia |
| Santolina |
Santolina spp. |
| Speedwell |
Veronica spp. |
| Thyme |
Thymus spp. |
| Speedwell |
Veronica spp. |
| Tickseed |
Coreopsis spp. |
| Windflower |
Anemone spp. |
| Wormwood |
Artemisia spp. |
| Yarrow |
Achillea spp. |
Deer-resistant bulbs
| Common name |
Botanical name |
| Allium |
Allium spp. |
| Calla lily |
Zantedeschia spp. |
| Daffodil |
Narcissus spp. |
| Lily of the nile |
Agapanthus africanus |
| Windflower |
Anemone spp. |
Deer-resistant shrubs
| Common name |
Botanical name |
| Barberry |
Berberis spp. |
| Boxwood |
Buxus spp. |
| Butterfly bush |
Buddleja spp. and hybrids |
| Caryopteris |
Caryopteris spp. |
| Deutzia |
Deutzia gracilis |
| Forsythia |
Forsythia spp. |
| Honeysuckle |
Lonicera sempervirens |
| Lilac |
Syringa vulgaris |
| Privet |
Ligustrum spp. |
| Potentilla |
Potentilla fruticosa |
| Rhododendron |
Rhododendron spp. |
| Red elder |
Sambucus racemosa |
| Smoketree |
Continus coggygria |
| Summersweet |
Clethra spp. |
| Sweetspire |
Itea virginica |
| Viburnum |
Viburnum spp. |
Deer-resistant trees
| Common name |
Botanical name |
| Austrian pine |
Pinus nigra |
| Birch |
Betula spp. |
| Colorado blue spruce |
Picea pungens |
| English hawthorn |
Crataegus laevigata |
| Holly |
Ilex spp. |
| Honeylocust |
Gleditsia triacanthos |
| Japanese maple |
Acer palmatum |
| Juniper |
Juniperus spp. |
| Kousa dogwood |
Cornus kousa |
| Magnolia |
Magnolia spp. |
| Purple-leaf sand cherry |
Prunus x cistena |
| Red pine |
Pinus resinosa |
| Russian olive |
Elaeagnus angustifoliasas |
| Safras |
Sassafras albidum |
