Deer eating your garden plants?
If you choose the right plants, you can have color even when you have deer for neighbors! But, being completely honest, there is no plant that is absolutely 100% deer-proof. If food is scarce, they have been known to eat almost anything.
The solution is to get to know which plants are not a top choice for deer. That way they’ll pass by for more appetizing choices and only choose your plants if they’re desperate for food.
Top Deer-Resistant Plants, Flowers, and Shrubs
| A | Ageratum, Allegheny Serviceberry, American Holly, Anise, Arrowwood Viburnum, Asparagus, Aster, Astilbe, Autumn Crocus |
| B | Baby’s Breath, Bachelor’s Buttons, Barberry, Bayberry, Basil, Bee Balm, Black-Eyed Susan, Bleeding Heart, Bluebell, Blue Fescue, Blue Mist Shrub, Borage, Broom, Buttercup, Butterfly Bush |
| C | Cactus, Catmint, Cinquefoil, Common Boxwood, Common Lilac, Common Foxglove, Common Tansy, Corydalis, Crown Imperial, Fritilia |
| D | Dusty Miller, Daphne, Daffodil, Dwarf Alberta Spruce |
| F | Forget-Me-Not, Fern, Fragrant Sumac |
| G | Germander, Garden Sage |
| H | Horseradish, Heliotrope, Hyssop, Horehound |
| I | Iris |
| J | Jack-in-the-pulpit, Juniper |
| L | Lantana, Lamb’s Ear, Larkspur, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lenten or Christmas Rose, Lily of the Valley |
| M | Monkshood, Mint |
| O | Onion |
| P | Pot Marigold, Purple Coneflower, Pachysandra, Peony, Poppy, Pine |
| R | Rosemary, Rue, Russian Sage |
| S | Silver Mound, Spider Flower, Small Globe Thistle, Snow-on-the-Mountain, Snapdragon, Snowdrops, Spurge, Statice, Strawflower, Sweet Alyssum |
| T | Tarragon, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Thyme |
| W | Wild Ginger, Willows, Winter Aconite, Winterberry Holly, Wood Fern |
| Y | Yarrow, Yucca |
| Z | Zinnia |
Deer Favorites
Daylilies, English Ivy, Hostas, Narrow-Leafed Evergreens (especially Arborvitae and Fir)
They also seem to prefer plants that have been fertilized over those that have not.
More info and ideas for Deer-Resistant Plant to Grow This Spring from our friends at Proven Winners!
