Deer-Resistant Plant List
Nothing is more frustrating for a gardener than to see their hard work and money gobbled up by freeloading deer. A little planning and understanding can help to reduce losses.
Our seasonal deer-resistant plant display.
Almost any plant may be sampled by deer. They enjoy variety and frequently try new plants, especially when they are young. When food is scarce they will also expand their regular menu to include more unusual items. Deer use their sense of smell to warn them of danger. If this sense is impaired by other smells, they will become nervous and leave the area.
Disclaimer: these lists are subject to "approval" by your local deer. Use these lists to improve your chances of success in a garden shared with deer.
Click here to download a printable version of our Deer Resistant Plant List!
Repellents
Plantskydd - does not need reapplication after rain and Bobbex all natural deer repellent will also help protect your plants. Both need reapplication after new growth. Blood Meal sprinkled around the plant or hung in sachets and fragrant soaps with a hole in the middle hung around the plant are also helpful.
Fencing is the ultimate solution, but can be expensive and unsightly. Low fences may change their paths, but if they know food is behind the fence, they can jump quite high or crawl under low wires. The construction does not have to be strong, as they will not push their way through a fence. Temporary fences can be put up using black plastic netting that is not very visible and held up with garden stakes.
The best solution is to select plants that are not favoured by the deer. They avoid plants with unusual characteristics such as strong flower or foliage fragrance or fuzzy/spiny leaf textures. Below is a list of plants that we feel deer will leave alone, but with the caveat that a deer will have the final say. Using these lists will help to give you a higher degree of success in having your garden coexist with deer.
We list the botanical genus name which will cover all plants starting with that name. e.g. Pinus is the Pine genus and means that all the hundreds of Pine varieties are resistant.
Hedging and Evergreen Trees
| Botanical Name | Name |
|---|---|
| Abies | Fir |
| Araucaria araucana | Monkey Puzzle |
| Chamaecyparis | Cypress |
| Cupressocyparis leylandii | Leyland Cypress |
| Cryptomeria | Japanese Cedar |
| Eucalyptus | Eucalyptus |
| Juniperus | Junipers |
| Picea | Spruce |
| P. menziesii | Douglas Fir |
| Pinus | Pine |
| Trachycarpus | Windmill Palm |
Flowering and Shade Trees
Deer will browse up to about shoulder height (6 ft.). Most flowering and shade trees begin to branch above that height and can avoid deer damage. Trees should be pruned to keep all branches out of reach of deer.
Fruit Trees
Fruit trees are also subject to browsing damage on the tips of their branches. They should be trained to branch high, out of reach of the deer. If the tree is not tall enough, it should be fenced until it grows beyond the reach of the deer.
Deer Resistant Shrubs
Parentheses () indicates "some browsing possible."
| Botanical Name | Name |
|---|---|
| Andromeda | Bog Rosemary |
| Bamboo | Bamboo |
| Berberis | Barberry |
| (Buddleia) | (Butterfly Bush) |
| Buxus | Boxwood |
| Calluna | Summer Heather |
| Cephalotaxus | Japanese Plum Yew |
| Chamaecyparis | Cypress |
| Choisya ternata | Mexican Orange |
| Cortaderia selloana | Pampas Grass |
| Cotoneaster | Cotoneaster |
| Cryptomeria jap. | Japanese Cedar |
| Daphne | Daphne |
| Elaeagnus | Silverberry 'Gilt Edge' |
| Erica | Heather |
| Eucalyptus | Eucalyptus |
| Ferns | Ferns |
| Gaultheria shallon | Salal |
| Genista pilosa | Vancouver Gold Broom |
| Gunnera | Chilean Rhubarb |
| Hamamelis | Witch Hazel |
| Hypericum spp. | St. John's Wort |
| Ilex | Holly |
| Juniperus | Junipers - all |
| Lavetera | Tree Mallow |
| Mahonia | Oregon Grape |
| Nandina | Heavenly Bamboo |
| Osmanthus | False Holly |
| Pachysandra ter. | Japanese Spurge |
| Phormium | New Zealand Flax |
| Picea | Spruce |
| Pieris | Lily-of-the-Valley Shrub |
| Pinus | Pine |
| Rhododendron | Rhododendron |
| Rhus typhina | Staghorn Sumac |
| Ribes | Currant |
| Rosmarinus | Rosemary |
| Sambucus racemosa | Red Elderberry |
| Sarcococca | Himalayan Sweetbox |
| Senecio | Senecio |
| Skimmia | |
| Syringa | Lilac |
| Viburnum | Viburnum 'Dawn' |
| Yucca (flower is eaten) | Yucca |
Deer Resistant Vines
Parentheses () indicates “some browsing possible”.
| Botanical Name | Name |
|---|---|
| Akebia | Akebia |
| Celastrus | Bittersweet |
| (Clematis) | (Clematis) |
| (Lonicera) | (Honeysuckle) |
| Parthenocissus | Virginia Creeper, Boston Ivy |
| Polygonum | Silver Lace Vine |
| Wisteria | Wisteria |
Deer Resistant Perennials
| Botanical Name | Name |
|---|---|
| Acanthus mollis | Bears Breech |
| Achillea | Yarrow |
| Aconitum | Monkshood |
| Agapanthus | African Lily |
| Agastache | Hyssop |
| Ajuga | Bugleweed |
| Alchemilla | Lady's Mantle |
| Anemone | Windflower |
| Aquilegia | Columbine |
| Arabis | Rock Cress |
| Armerias | Sea Thrift |
| Artemisia | Wormwood |
| Aruncus | Goat's Beard |
| Asarum | Wild Ginger |
| Aubrietia | Aubrietia |
| Baptisia | False Indigo |
| Brunnera | Bugloss |
| Campanula | Campanula |
| catananche | Cupid's Dart |
| Cerastium | Snow-in-Summer |
| Ceratostigma | Leadwort/Plumbago |
| Convallaria | Lily of the Valley |
| Cyclamen | Cyclamen |
| Dicentra | Bleeding Hearts |
| Digitalis | Foxgloves |
| Doronicum | Leopard's Bane |
| Echinops | Globe Thistle |
| Epimedium | Barrenwort |
| Eryngium | Sea Holly |
| Euphorbia | Wood Spurge |
| Ferns | Ferns |
| Gallardia | Blanket Flower |
| Galium | Sweet Woodruff |
| Geranium var. | Hardy Geranium |
| Gunnera. | Chilean Rhubarb |
| Helenium | Sneezeweed |
| Heliopsis | False Sunflower |
| Helleborus | Lenten Rose |
| Iberis | Candytuft |
| Iris | Iris |
| Kniphofia | Red-Hot Poker |
| Lavandula | Lavender |
| IrisLeptinella | Brass Buttons |
| Leucanthemum | Shasta Daisy |
| Lithodora | Lithodora |
| Lobelia | Red Cardinal Flower |
| Lychnis coronaria | Rose Campion |
| Mentha requienii | Corsican Mint |
| Monarda | Bee Balm |
| Nepeta | Catmint |
| Oxalis | Oxalis |
| Paeonia | Peony |
| Papaver | Poppies |
| Perovskia | Russian Sage |
| Polemonium | Jacob's Ladder |
| Pulmonaria | Lungwort |
| Sagina | Scotch & Irish Moss |
| Salvia | Sage |
| Santolina | Lavender Cotton |
| Saponaria | Soapwort |
| Stachys | Lamb's Ears |
| Thymus | Thyme |
| Verbascum | Verbascum |
| Veronica | Speedwell |
Deer Resistant Annuals
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| African Daisy | Osteospermum | |
| Alyssum | Lobularia martima | |
| Artichoke | Cynara | Also a vegetable |
| Begonia – Fibrous | Begonia – Fibrous | Easy to grow, sun or shade |
| Bell Flower | Campanula | |
| Blanket Flower | Gaillardia | |
| Blue Fan | Scaevola | Basket stuffer |
| Castor Bean | Ricinus communis | Seeds are very poisonous |
| Chrysanthemum | Chrysanthemum | |
| Cosmos | Cosmos | Easy to grow, bushy |
| Dusty Miller | Senecio | |
| Euryops | Euryops | Needs sun |
| Floss Flower | Ageratum | Good for borders |
| Forget-Me-Not | Myosotis | |
| Gazania | Gazania | Needs full sun |
| Geranium – Scented | Geranium – Scented | |
| Heliotrope | Heliotrope | |
| Herbs | Herbs | Most culinary types |
| Lantana | Lantana | |
| Lobelia | Lobelia | |
| Marguerite Daisy | Argyranthemum | |
| Marigolds | Marigolds | Some browsing |
| Monkey Flower | Mimulus | |
| Moonflower | Ipomea | |
| Nasturtium | Nasturtium | |
| Pot Marigold | Calendula | Very easy, self seeds |
| Shirley Poppy | Papaver rhoeas | |
| Silver Mound | Artemisia | Basket stuffer |
| Snapdragon | Anthirrhinum | |
| Spider Flower | Cleome | |
| Statice | Limonium | |
| Stocks | Matthiola incana | |
| Sunflower | Helianthus | |
| Swan River Daisy | Brachycome | Basket stuffer |
| Verbena | Verbena | Basket stuffer |
| Victoria Blue | Salvia | |
| Zinnia | Zinnia | Needs heat, cut flower |
Deer Resistant Bulbs – Summer Blooming
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| African Corn Flower | Ixia | |
| Anenome | Anenome | May browse |
| Dahlia | Dahlia | |
| Freesia | Freesia | |
| Grass Nut, Queen Fabiola | Brodiaea | |
| Iris | Iris | |
| Lily-of-the-Nile | Agapanthus | |
| Naked Lady | Amaryllis belladonna | May be tender outdoors |
| Shamrock | Oxalis |
Deer Resistant Bulbs – Spring Blooming
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| African Corn Flower | Ixia | |
| Anenome | Anenome | |
| Artemisia | Artemisia | |
| Autumn Crocus | Colchicum | |
| Bluebell | Scilla | |
| Crocus | Crocus | |
| Cyclamen | Cyclamen | |
| Daffodil | Narcissus | Must have in any “Deer Garden” |
| Freesia | Freesia | |
| Fritillaria | Fritillaria | |
| Glory-of-the-Snow | Chiondoxa | |
| Grape Hyacinth | Muscari | |
| Grass Nut, Queen Fabiola | Brodiaea | |
| Hyacinth | Hyacinth | |
| Iris | Iris | |
| Ornamental Onion | Allium | |
| Russian Snowdrop | Puschkina | |
| Shamrock | Oxalis | |
| Snowdrops | Galanthus | |
| Snowflake | Leucojum | |
| Spring Star Flower | Triteleia uniflora | Also called Ipheion uniflorum |
| Star of Bethlehem | Ornithogalum | |
| Winter aconite | Eranthis |
