Deer Resistant Plants

Select a catagory of deer resistant plants: 

Annuals Bulbs Groundcovers Herbs
Houseplants Ornamental Grasses Perennials Shrubs
Trees Tropicals Vegetables Vines

Download & Print Deer Resistant Lists 

Trees, Shrubs, & Perennials - Deer Resistant

Annuals, Edibles, & Groundcovers - Deer Resistant

 

*Nothing is 100% guaranteed that deer will not eat. If they are hungry, they will eat whatever is available to them.* 

ANNUALS

Rarely Damaged
Seldom Damaged
Ageratum Celosia

Cleome

Lantana
Dusty Miller Lobelia
Flowering Vinca Oxalis
Flowering Tobacco Stock
Heliotrope Salvia
Marigold Verbena
Ranunculus Zinnia
Strawflower  
Sweet Alyssum  

BULBS

Rarely Damaged
Allium sp. Ornamental Onion
Narcissus sp. Daffodil
Seldom Damaged
Crocus sp. Crocus
Gladiolus sp. Gladiolus
Hyacinthus sp. Hyacinth
Muscari sp. Grape Hyacinth
Zantedeschia sp. Calla Lily

GROUNDCOVERS

Rarely Damaged
Ajuga reptans Bugleweed
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Bearberry
Convallaria majalis Lily of the Valley
Epimedium sp. Barrenwort
Galium odoratum Sweet Woodruff
Lamium sp. Spotted Deadnettle
Pachysandra terminalis Pachysandra
Seldom Damaged
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides Plumbago
Liriope sp. Lilyturf
Vinca minor Periwinkle

HERBS

Rarely Damaged
Seldom Damaged
Lemon Balm Dill
Mint Basil
Oregano Salvia
Rosemary Nasturtium
Thyme  

HOUSEPLANTS

Cyclamen

PERENNIALS

Rarely Damaged
Aconitum sp. Monkshood
Agastache sp. Anise Hyssop
Agopodium podagraria Variegatum Bishop's Goutweed
Allium sp. Ornamental Onion
Amsonia tabernaemontana Blue Stars
Artemisia sp. Silver Mound
Asarum europaeum European Ginger
Athyrium goeringianum Japanese Painted Fern
Aurinia saxatilis Basket of Gold
Baptisia australis False Indigo
Brunnera macrophylla Siberian Bugloss
Campanula sp. Bellflower
Convallaria sp. Lily of the Valley
Coreopsis verticillata Threadleaf Coreopsis
Corydalis sp. Corydalis
Delosperma sp. Ice Plant
Dicentra spectabilis Bleeding Heart
Digitalis purpurea Common Foxglove
Dryopteris ergthrosora Autumn Fern
Echinops ritro Small Globe Thistle
Epimedium sp. Barrenwort

Euphorbia sp. 

(except 'Chameleon')

Spurge
Helleborus sp. Lenton Rose
Hibiscus x monscheutos Hardy Hibiscus
Iris sp. (may eat buds) Iris
Lavandula sp. Lavender
Ligularia dentata Bigleaf Goldenray
Lychnis coronaria Rose Campion
Matteuccia struthiopteris Ostrich Fern
Myosotis sp. Forget-Me-Not
Nepeta sp. Catmint
Opuntia humifusa Prickly Pear Cactus
Paeonia sp. (may eat buds) Peony
Perovskia atriplicifolia Russian Sage
Potentilla sp. Potentilla, Cinquefoil
Pulmonaria sp. Lungwort
Stachys byzantina Lamb's Ear
Tanacetum parthenium Feverfew
Seldom Damaged
Achillea millefolium Common Yarrow
Alchemilla sp. Lady's Mantle
Anemone x hybrida Japanese Anemone
Aquilegia sp. Columbine
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed
Aster sp. Aster
Astilbe sp. Astilbe
Bergenia sp. Heartleaf Bergenia
Cerastium Snow-in-Summer
Cimicifuga sp. Snakeroot, Bugbane
Delphinium sp. Delphinium
Dianthus sp. Carnation
Dianthus barbatus Sweet William
Digitalis gradiflora Yellow Foxglove
Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower
Geranium macrorrhizum Hardy Geranium
Gypsophila sp. Baby's Breath
Helenium autumnale Sneezewee
Heuchera sp. Coralbells
Hypericum calycinum St. John's Wort
Iberis sempervirens Candytuft
Kniphofia tritoma Red-Hot Poker
Lamiastrum galeobdolon 'Variegatum' Yellow Archangel
Liatris sp. Blazing Star
Lobelia sp. Cardinal Flower
Lupinus sp. Lupine
Lysimachia nummularia Creepying Jenny
Monarda didyma Beebalm
Papaver orientale Oriental Poppy
Petasites japonicus Japanese Butterbur
Physostegia sp. Obedient plant
Polemonium caeruleum Jacob's Ladder
Primula sp. Primrose
Rudbeckia sp. Black-Eyed Susan
Salvia nemorosa Meadow Sage
Saponaria sp. Soapwort
Scabiosa caucasica Pincushin Flower
Sempervivum sp. Hens and Chickens
Stokesia laevis Stokes' Aster
Tiarella cordifolia Foam Flower
Tradescantia sp. Spiderwort
Veronica sp. Speedwell
Viola sp. Violets

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES

Rarely Damaged
Acorus sp. Japanese Sweet Flag
Calamagrostis sp. Feather Reed Grass
Carex sp. Japanese Sedge
Cortaderia selloana Pampus Grass
Festuca glauca Blue Fescue
Hakonechloa macra Hakonechloa
Helictotrichon sempervirens Blue Oat Grass
Juncus effusus Hard Rush
Leymus arenarius glaucous Lyme Grass
Miscanthus sinensis Japanese Silver Grass
Panicum virgatum Switch Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides Fountain Grass

SHRUBS

Rarely Damaged
Berberis sp. Barberry
Buddleia sp. Butterfly Bush
Buxus sempervirens Common Boxwood
Calluna sp. Heather
Caryopteris clandonensis Blue Mist Shrub
Cephalotaxus harringtonia Japanese Plum Yew
Chaenomeles sp. Flowering Quince
Cytisus sp. Scotch Broom
Leucothoe fontanesiana Drooping Leucothoe
Microbiota decussata Russian Cypress
Pieris japonica Andromeda
Potentilla fruticosa Bush Cinquefoil
Rhus aromatica Fragrant Sumac
Viburnum dentatum Arrowwood Viburnum
Yucca filimentosa Yucca
Seldom Damaged
Abies sp. Fir
Callicarpa sp. Beautyberry
Cedrus sp. Cedar
Clethra sp. Sweet Pepperbush
Cornus alba Red Twigged Dogwood
Corylus sp. Hazelnut
Cotinus coggygria Smokebush
Cotoneaster apiculatus Cranberry Cotoneaster
Enkianthus campanulatus Redvein Enkianthus
Forsythia x intermedia Forsythia
Fothergila sp. Fothergillia
Hibiscus syriacus Rose of Sharon
Hypericum prolificum St. John's Wort
Ilex glabra Inkberry
Ilex verticillata Winterberry Holly
Itea virginica Virginia Sweetspire
Juniperus chinensis cv. Chinese Juniper
Juniperus chinensis 'Pfitzerana' Pfitzer Juniper
Juniperus horizontalis cv. Creeping Juniper
Juniperus procumbens 'Nana' Japanese Garden Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum cv. Moffat Juniper
Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star' Blue Star Juniper
Kerria japonica Japanese Kerria
Leucothoe axillaris Coast Leucothoe
Lonicera sp. Honeysuckle
Magnolia x soulangiana Saucer Magnolia
Philadelphus coronarius Sweet Mock Orange
Pinus mugo Mugo Pine
Prunus laurocerasus Cherry Laurel
Rubus sp. Brambles
Sambucus canadensis Sweet Elder
Spiraea japonica Japanese Spirea
Spiraea x bumalda Bumald Spirea
Syringa reticulata Japanese Tree Lilac
Syringa vulgaris Common Lilac
Viburnum carlesii Koreanspice Viburnum
Viburnum opulus Cranberry Bush
Viburnum plicatum tomentosum Doublefile Viburnum/Japanese Snowball
Viburnum x juddii Judd Viburnum
Weigela florida Weigela

TREES

Rarely Damaged
Albizia julibrissin Mimosa
Betula nigra River Birch
Picea glauca 'Conica' Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Pinus thunbergiana Japanese Black Pine
Seldom Damaged
Acer griseum Paperbark Maple
Acer palmatum Japanese Maple
Acer rubrum Red Maple
Betula jacquemontii Himalayan Birch
Chaenomeles speciosa Common Flowering Quince
Chamaecyparis pisfera Japanese Falsecypress
Cornus kousa Kousa Dogwood
Cryptomeria japonica Japanese Cedar
Fagus sylvatica European Beech
Gleditsia triacanthos Honey Locust
Koelreuteria paniculata Goldenrain Tree
Metasequoia flyptostroboides Dawn Redwood
Picea abies Norway Spruce
Picea glauca White Spruce
Picea omorika Serbian Spruce
Picea pungens Colorado Blue Spruce
Pinus densiflora Japanese Red Pine
Pinus nigra Austrian Pine
Pinus strobus Eastern White Pine
Pinus sylvestris Scotch Pine
Prunus serrulata Japanese Flowering Cherry
Salix matsudana tortuosa Corkscrew Willow

TROPICALS

Canna Elephant Ear

VEGETABLES

Asparagus Rhubarb

VINES

Wisteria floribunda Wistera

*Nothing is 100% guaranteed that deer will not eat it. If they are hungry, deer will eat whatever is available to them.*

Our thanks to Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension, for their excellent bulletin "Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance" by Pedro Perdomo, Morris County Agricultural Agent, Peter Nitzsche, Morris County Agricultural Agent, and David Drake, Ph.D., Extension Specialist in Wildlife Management (www.rce.rutgers.edu), 2003.