Deer Resistant Plants


Deer proof perennial ground cover: Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) and Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis), Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens), Bugleweed, Catnip plants (Nepeta cataria) , Creeping myrtle, or periwinkle vinca vines (Vinca minor). Creeping thyme plants, such as woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus), Deadnettle (Lamium galeobdolon), Liriope or "lilyturf" (Liriope spicata), Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum)


Deer resistant hedges:  Anything with prickles, American Holly is very deer resistant, Chinese holly, English holly, inkberry and winterberry will sometimes have a little deer damage


Deer-resistant plants include certain marigolds, daffodils, peonies, yarrow, bleeding hearts, many hellebores, English lavender, weigela, Japanese painted ferns, and ornamental grasses.  Members of the amaryllis family area a good long-term choice,  particularly daffodils, snowdrops and snowflakes,


Annuals: castor bean plant, floss flower, licorice plant, signet marigold.


Bulbs: Allium, allium giganteum, Blue flowers (Scilla siberica), Crocus, daffodils, Glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa), Grape Hyacinth, Fritilaria, Hyacinth, Lily-of-the-Valley, Netted Iris (Iris reticulata), Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis), summer snowflake.  Members of the amaryllis family are the best long-term choice for predator control, particularly daffodils, snowdrops and snowflakes,


Perennials: artemisia, bellflower, black-eyed susan, bleeding heart, fringed bleeding heart,  barrenwort, catmint columbine, crocus, daffodil, fern, foxglove, geranium, hellebore, hyacinth,  hyssop, Iris, lady’s mantle, lamb’s ears, lady's mantle, lavender, liatris, longspur,  lupines, naked lady, peony, russian sage, tulip, or wild tulip, yarrow, Artemisia, Bellflower (campanula), 


Shrubs: groundsel, boxwoods, russian cypress, bush cinquefoil, weigela.


Grasses: Blue Fescue, Golden Hakone Grass, Lilyturf (Liriope spicata), Miscanthus sinensis Gracillimus , Purple fountain (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'),  zebra grass ( Miscanthus Sinensis 'Zebrinus)