Deer Resistant Perennials
White-tailed deer are graceful and beautiful creatures, but for gardeners, they can be a major headache. These animals love to nibble on flowers, shrubs and young plants, often leaving gardens looking bare. Deer can also be a problem for farmers and motorists, but in your backyard, their appetites can be especially destructive.
The good news? With some planning, you can design a garden that deer are less likely to munch on.
Why Deer Are a Problem in Gardens
Deer naturally thrive in “edge habitats,” areas where different types of vegetation meet. These spaces give them food, cover and safe travel routes. Suburban neighborhoods are perfect deer territory: plenty of trees, shrubs and well-watered garden beds make ideal buffet tables.
Since deer behavior and taste preferences vary by location and season, there’s no guaranteed way to make a garden deer-proof. However, planting a mix of deer-resistant species can help protect your garden and reduce damage.
Tips for Deer-Resistant Gardening
Deer tend to avoid certain types of plants:
- Spicy or strongly scented foliage – Plants with aromatic leaves are usually ignored.
- Fuzzy or hairy leaves – Plants like Lamb’s Ear are generally passed by.
- Poisonous plants – Deer tend to avoid plants like Monkshood and Foxglove.
- Needles or spines – Holly, barberry and spruce are often left alone.
- Spring bulbs – Most bulbs are deer favorites, except for daffodils and alliums.
Even with these tips, remember: if food is scarce, deer may eat almost anything.
Deer-Resistant Perennials
Here’s a list of perennials that deer are most likely to avoid. These plants are great options for creating a more deer-friendly garden:
- Achillea – Yarrow
- Aconitum – Monkshood
- Anaphalis – Pearly Everlasting
- Anchusa – Bugloss
- Anemone japonica – Japanese Anemone
- Artemesia – Wormwood
- Aruncus – Goatsbeard
- Asclepias – Butterfly Weed
- Astilbe – False Spirea
- Campanula spp. – Bellflower
- Centaurea montana – Bachelor Buttons
- Cimicifuga – Bugbane
- Convallaria – Lily of the Valley
- Delphinium – Larkspur
- Dicentra spp. – Bleeding Heart
- Digitalis – Foxglove
- Echinacea purpurea – Purple Coneflower
- Erigeron – Fleabane Daisy
- Euphorbia spp. – Spurge
- Gypsophila spp. – Baby’s Breath
- Geranium spp. – Cranesbill
- Helianthus spp. – Perennial Sunflower
- Iris spp. – Iris varieties
- Kniphofia – Red Hot Poker
- Lavandula – Lavender
- Liatris – Gayfeather
- Lychnis – Maltese Cross
- Macleaya – Plume Poppy
- Monarda – Bee Balm
- Paeonia – Peony
- Penstemon – Bearded Tongue
- Perovskia – Russian Sage
- Phlox subulata – Creeping Phlox
- Polemonium spp. – Jacob’s Ladder
- Salvia spp. – Hardy Sage
- Stachys lanata – Lamb’s Ear
- Stokesia – Stoke’s Aster
- Tanacetum – Painted Daisy
- Thalictrum – Meadow Rue
- Tradescantia – Spiderwort
- Trollius – Globeflower
- Verbena spp. – Verbena varieties
Final Thoughts
No garden is completely deer-proof, but by choosing plants deer tend to avoid, you can reduce the damage and still enjoy a thriving, colorful landscape. Mix these deer-resistant plants with sturdy fencing, natural repellents or companion planting for even better protection.
With careful planning, your garden can remain a beautiful, flourishing space, even in areas where deer roam freely.