Oh, dear! Do you have problems with deer eating your garden plants? See our list of deer-resistant plants, flowers, and shrubs to keep the hungry herds away from your garden!
Let’s be frank: there are no absolutely deer-proof plants. If food is scarce enough, deer have been known to eat almost anything. The heaviest browsing by deer will occur from October through February.
That said, there are plants that are much less palatable to deer. So, we want to grow plants that are not the deer’s top choice on the menu.
Note that even “resistant” varieties can be vulnerable in the first few weeks after planting, when their leaf tissue is especially nitrogen-rich. If you have major deer problems, we recommend spraying new plants with a deer-repellent for 3 to 4 weeks after planting to prevent them from being nibbled on and damaged. Even if they are feasted on, as long as the root systems of the plants are not damaged, the plants should survive.
Research has shown which plants are less likely to be eaten by deer and can be labeled “deer-resistant.” See the list below.
Which Plants Do Deer Like to Eat?
Some plant qualify as “deer candy.” We certainly don’t want to be laying out a deer buffet with our hard-earned dollars.
- Avoid planting narrow-leafed evergreens, especially arborvitae and fir.
- Deer also show a particular preference for hostas, daylilies, and English ivy, according to researchers from the University of Rhode Island, who have studied white-tailed deer damage to nurseries.
Interestingly, several participants in the study noted that deer seem to prefer plants that have been fertilized to those that haven’t.
Which Plants Do Deer Dislike?
- Not surprisingly, deer tend to stay away from poisonous plants. Daffodils, foxgloves, and poppies are common flowers with a toxicity that deer avoid.
- Deer also tend to turn their noses up at fragrant plants with strong scents. Herbs such as sages, ornamental salvias, and lavender, as well as flowers like peonies and bearded irises, are just “stinky” to deer.
- Would you want to eat something prickly? Neither do deer (unless they’re desperate). Plants such as lamb’s ear are not on their preferred menu.
Deer-Resistant Plants for Shade
- One of our favorite deer-resistant perennials are bleeding hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis, aka Dicentra spectabilis).
- Astilbe are also deer-resistant plants that grow well in shade. Astilbe ‘Bridal Veil’, ‘Visions’, and ‘Fanal’ make a nice mix.
Deer-Resistant Plants for Sun
- Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’ attracts butterflies but not deer and offers a long season of bloom from May through Sepember.
- Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ or Blazing Star is also a sun-loving perennial that isn’t a popular choice on the deer buffet.
- Echinacea purpurea is one of our favorite native flowers and a magnet for pollinators!
- Another sun-lover is Salvia x sylvestris or Wood Sage.
- Finally, the popular Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’ is a popular variety of Shasta Daisy that deer do not favor.
List of Top Deer-Resistant Plants, Flowers, and Shrubs
Here’s a list popular plants that deer rarely or seldom severely damage. Again, keep in mind that the first rule in deer-proofing is that there are no completely deer-proof plants.
| Botanical name | Common name |
| Achillea filipendulina | Yarrow |
| Aconitum sp. | Monkshood |
| Ageratum houstonianum | Ageratum |
| Allium sp. | Onion |
| Amelanchier laevis | Allegheny Serviceberry |
| Antirrhinum majus | Snapdragon |
| Armoracia rusticana | Horseradish |
| Artemisia dracunculus | Tarragon |
| Artemisia sp. | Silver Mound |
| Arisaema triphylum | Jack-in-the-pulpit |
| Asarum canadense | Wild Ginger |
| Asparagus officinalis | Asparagus |
| Aster sp. | Aster |
| Astilbe sp. | Astilbe |
| Berberis sp. | Barberry |
| Borage officinalis | Borage |
| Buddleia sp. | Butterfly Bush |
| Buxus sempervirens | Common Boxwood |
| Helleborus sp. | Lenten or Christmas Rose |
| Cactaceae sp. | Cactus |
| Calendula sp. | Pot Marigold |
| Caryopteris clandonensis | Blue Mist Shrub |
| Centaurea cineraria | Dusty Miller |
| Centaurea cyanus | Bachelor’s Buttons |
| Cleome sp. | Spider Flower |
| Colchicum sp. | Autumn Crocus |
| Consolida ambigua | Larkspur |
| Convallaris majalis | Lily of the Valley |
| Coreopsis verticillata | Threadleaf Coreopsis |
| Corydalis sp. | Corydalis |
| Cytisus sp. | Broom |
| Daphne sp. | Daphne |
| Dicentra spectabilis now classified as Lamprocapnos spectabilis |
Bleeding Heart |
| Digitalis purpurea | Common Foxglove |
| Dryopteris marginalis | Wood Fern |
| Echinacea purpurea | Purple Coneflower |
| Echinops ritro | Small Globe Thistle |
| Endymion sp. | Bluebell |
| Eranthus hyemalis | Winer Aconite |
| Euphorbia marginata | Snow-on-the-Mountain |
| Euphorbia sp. (except ‘Chameleon’) | Spurge |
| Festuca glauca | Blue Fescue |
| Fritilaria imperialis | Crown Imperial, Fritilia |
| Galanthus nivalis | Snowdrops |
| Gypsophila sp. | Baby’s Breath |
| Helichrysum | Strawflower |
| Heliorope arborescens | Heliotrope |
| Hyssopus officinalis | Hyssop |
| Ilex opaca | American Holly |
| Ilex verticillata | Winterberry Holly |
| Iris sp. | Iris |
| Juniperus | Juniper |
| Lantana sp. | Lantana |
| Lavandula sp. | Lavender |
| Limonium latifolium | Statice |
| Lobularia maritima | Sweet Alyssum |
| Marrubium vulgare | Horehound |
| Melissa officinalis | Lemon Balm |
| Mentha sp. | Mint |
| Monarda didyma | Bee Balm |
| Myosotis sp. | Forget-Me-Not |
| Myrica pensylvanica | Bayberry |
| Narcissus sp. | Daffodil |
| Nepeta sp. | Catmint |
| Ocimum basilicum | Basil |
| Osmunda | Fern |
| Pachysandra terminalis | Pachysandra |
| Paeonia sp. | Peony |
| Papaver | Poppy |
| Perovskio atriplicifolia | Russian Sage |
| Picea glauca ‘Conica’ | Dwarf Alberta Spruce |
| Pimpinalla anisum | Anise |
| Pinus | Pine |
| Potentilla | Cinquefoil |
| Ranunculus sp. | Buttercup |
| Rhus aromatica | Fragrant Sumac |
| Rosmarinus officinalis | Rosemary |
| Rudbeckia sp. | Black-Eyed Susan |
| Ruta sp. | Rue |
| Salix | Willows |
| Salvia officinalis | Garden Sage |
| Stachys byzantina | Lamb’s Ear |
| Syringa vulgaris | Common Lilac |
| Tanacetum vulgare | Common Tansy |
| Teucrium chamaedrys | Germander |
| Thumus sp. | Thyme |
| Yucca | Yucca |
| Viburnum dentatum | Arrowwood Viburnum |
| Zinnia | Zinnia |
Source: Outwitting Deer by Bill Adler Jr.
Reader Comments
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Deer resistant ?
I have seen deer eat ivy. A friend had deer eat all her flowers, so she stuck fake flowers in the ground. Next day she noticed they even pulled them up! They must of discovered they were fake, and spit them out!
Deer resistant plants...
Thanks very much.
Very helpful article!
Deer don't like animal fat.
An old woman from Eastern Europe gave me this tip. Since deer will avoid meat produce, smearing the leaves of plants with animal fat will keep them away.
DEER RESISTANCE,
Nana would always "Feed " the Deer AWAY from her gardens until spring. MARIGOLDS DEER DO NOT LIKE! HANDS DOWN! Now as to Deer Resistance, she would save" The pie pans(Aluminum )" ones the ones from say from store bought Apple, Pumpkin, or just plain go and buy some, and string a few around her Gardens, Yes gaudy looking BUT when they are rattling in the breeze or swinging the noise and flashing deter the deer, as well as " Liquid Fence"! The Latter stinks at first then not so much. Up Side DEER HATE the concoction, down side, it will have to dry completely and needs to be applied after EVERY RAIN! I Highly Recommend the CONCENTRATE and a small garden Pump Sprayer, seems the Ready Mix is a bit weak. I go around my Property , and spray the Gardens as well . I have watched the deer come to the line STAMP there feet nose the ground and walk away. Also my rednose Pitty keeps them away. She tells them" MY PROPERTY" My Other "Children" have made 'friends' with them LOL some watch dogs. Good Planting All. "Plant Long and Prosper,' May The Force Be with You"
Resistance is futile
My grandmother raised us with the notion that every creature has a right to food. Some days it was her turn to feed the wildlife found near her farm. We have a herd of eight deer that wander the neighborhood. They have done a wonderful job of cleaning up grass clippings, managing the berry patch, and keeping some other weeds under control. During the winter they cleaned up the bird seed that fell out of the feeders.
There is this plant with little purple-pink flowers that the deer seem to avoid even walking in. Some one said it is in the mint family and grows very well in shade. The food garden came with an electric fence. I'll see how things go with the deer this summer. I want to take the fence down.
Deer resistant plants
No such thing here on the east coast of Florida. I gave up gardening entirely. Why waste my money to feed the deer. I might as well go buy sacks of kernel corn for them.
Zinnias
They will certainly eat zinnias.
Plants deer don't eat
The deer eat everything except my Primrose. They have NEVER bothered them. They eat my Hosta, my Black-eyed Susan's and my Reblooming Daylilies.
Deer love our hot peppers!
We bought starter peppers that we thought were mild bell peppers. They weren't. We have Scandinavian roots and we can't tolerate too much heat in our peppers, but we tried. These peppers grew really well and we tried to bake and stuff them, put them in soups, pair them with cheese...nothing helped the hotness... but one morning...they were all gone from the garden - like, 30 hot peppers! The deer ate them! We laughed at the image. Do you think it was deer? Or something else?
Repellent help
One thing you can use to help repel deer, squirrels, etc. is spraying your plants with a hot sauce! Every mammal has heat receptors in their mouths, and so they don't like hot sauce. The only thing is you have to reapply it after it rains. A version of this will also work to keep squirrels out of your bird feeders. Just mix the seeds with a hot chili powder. Birds don't have heat receptors, so it won't bother them but it will the squirrels.
Squirrels/Rabbits
Do you have any suggestions for squirrel and rabbit resistant plants. My squirrels ate everything they are not supposed to eat last year. Would love any suggestions before I start planting this year.
Deer
Deer eat my husbands muscadines (Southern style grapes). They mature late in the summer. Do you think planting these deer resistant plants below the vines would run them off. Would the odor drift up to the muscadines? Thanks
Deer-resistant Plants
Deer here in Pittsburgh will eat the holly, prickles and all. They also trim the arborvitaes into ice-cream cones. They seem to eat anything young, but may leave it alone once it's older. Of course, once the sprouts are older, usually the grass is up and they can graze that, instead.
Our local garden center made an (inadvertent?) funny on this subject. They have permanent overhead signs in their yard to help locate things. Last year, under the sign for Deer-Resistant plants, some worker with a forklift had left a pallet of boulders. Hm-m-m.
Deer don't eat plants
You list, deer won't eat lilacs. Well, I'm watching deer eating my lilacs right now & they keep coming back. And it has not been a bad winter. It's been warm & hardly any snow. But here they come to eat my lilacs and my Holly bushes too, another one you say they don't eat, well yes they do, they eat the Holly bush but spit out the red berries!
Deer rersistant plants
I have maintained a small ornamental conifer nursery in Northern Vermont for the past 35 years and the only unfriendly deer product that hands down deer avoid is Leadnus Vulgare. I have found one ounce slugs work best with #9 shot. You are wasting your time with any of the plant matter discussed.
Deer eating everything
I wonder how many of us consider that the biggest problem is that we keep pushing our remaining wildlife into smaller and smaller areas where they cannot forage enough? Mesnwhile we continue to expand and consume without thought to the other species we share the planet with. No matter, at the present spiralling extinction rate they will soon be gone....and then so will we.
Apparently the deer in my are haven’t read this article yet....
I have to agree that there are certain plants they do seem to avoid but there are numerous ones on this list that they have a particular liking for. American Holly...yup...they feasted on it like it was a delicacy. They also love barberry, boxwood, bachelors buttons, pachysandra , yucca and Black-eyed Susans. Don’t even get me started on all those “ fuzzy-leaved” plants they’re supposed to avoid...like hollyhocks. They attack them until there is nothing but a green, leafless and flowerless stalk left. Maybe this list is okay in a more urban setting??....but in a rural area....not so much.
MY DEER EAT EVERYTHING!
Even though I'm more of a perennial gal, I've always planted zinnias in the summer because they added pop to my garden and the deer never touched them--until this year. All the zinnia flower buds were chomped off within a few days after I planted them. Same with my salvia and bee balm--deer never touched them before but this year they've eaten the tops of them off. I've had to put them behind a deer fence or spray them. Something eats my echinacea every year but I'm beginning to suspect its rabbits since they aren't eaten once they manage to get past a certain height...
did you know deer "resistant" isn't a thing?
I am figuring out that "deer resistant" means it's not their first choice of meal. I planted a landscape that was listed on this site for 3 seasons blooming. I used bee balm instead of a listed perennial and that was the first thing they went after, flower, leaves and stem. They also love Bleeding Heart, Weigela, Delphinium, Black Eyed Susan, apple tree leaves, cherry tree leaves. The good news is, they haven't touched my Black Lace Elderberry, Coral Bells (yet). Maybe we just have mutant deer that don't know they're eating deer resistant plants but it's very disheartening not to mention expensive.
Deer eat plants
Do deer eat Mandeville plants?
mandevilla
Unfortunately, many varieties of mandevilla are not deer-resistant. “Mandevilla laxa” is considered deer-resistant, though not deer-proof. The leaves are smaller and less succulent than Mandevilla sanderi which is less deer-resistant.
Neighbors who feed deer
I used to be able to grow Hollyhocks, Petunias, Pansies, and numerous other flowers without deer ever touching any of them UNTIL our neighbors started feeding them. Ever since then, I haven't been able to keep deer out of my garden, and I NEVER fed them! It really irritates me how inconsiderate some people can be of their neighbors who put a lot of time and work, not to mention money, into their gardens. Some folks don't realize that once they start feeding deer, they are forever attracted to every garden in the area. Other neighbors do know this, and simply don't care. They do what they want to do, regardless of the consequences for anyone else. Very, very selfish and insensitive!
Your list of deer resistent plants
You have Zinnia listed at the last plant on your list that deer (supposedly) rarely eat. I have news for you. They eat, eat, eat Zinnias! I grew Zinnias from seed in last year's garden, and deer ate every last one that came up, before it ever had a chance to bud or bloom.
You have also listed coneflower among their typical leave-alones. Not so! When I grew coneflower, deer kept eating off the buds and blossoms.
This didn't just happen once in awhile. It happened regularly. These two plants are NOT deer resistant, in the least.
Just thought you should know.
Deer-Resistant Plants
I have had the same experience as Jan. Deer have eaten virtually ALL of my echinacea purpurea. You might want to take that off the list of deer-resistant plants. They are NOT deer resistant.
Agree on the coneflowers - I
Agree on the coneflowers - I had a mass of the 'Pow Wow Wild Berry' that I had to move from front to back yard because deer ravage them. I live in NJ.
Deer resistant plants
So far in our area, we've found the only things the deer won't eat are Lambs Ear and lavender. Roses seem to be a favorite! I wish the weeds were tastier......
I think it really depends on
I think it really depends on the deer in your area. My zinnias weren't touched last year, but they certainly loved eating my rhubarb and tomato plants, which I've read are both supposed to be deer resistant.
Roses!
Yes deer loves my rose bushes. You would think the sharp thorns would turn them away but they love the leaves.
Rabbits
Do you have a list of Rabbit Resistant Plants and Flowers. Last summer the rabbits eat most of our vegetable garden, with a 6 foot fence around it. Are there maybe herbs that deter rabbits? Really need advice before planting our garden this year.
Bury the fence
Rabbits can and will dig. Bury the fence 6 inches to a foot, and bend the buried portion away from the plants to prevent them from getting to your garden.
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