Deer-resistant plants
Every plant here is rated on a four-step damage scale from a university field study, the one extension services use. No plant is truly deer-proof. A hungry enough deer will eat almost anything.
597 plants in the encyclopedia
Perennial190
African Lily
Seldom damagedAgapanthus sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–11, genus range
Anise Hyssop
Rarely damagedAgastache sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Asparagus
Seldom damagedAsparagus officinalis
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–9
- Height
- 36–60 in
Aster
Seldom damagedAster sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Astilbe
Seldom damagedAstilbe x arendsii
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 18–35 in
Avens
Occasionally damagedGeum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Shrub155
Antelope Bitterbrush
Seldom damagedPurshia tridentata
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 144–144 in
Anthony Waterer Spirea
Seldom damagedSpiraea x bumalda
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Apache Plume
Seldom damagedFallugia paradoxa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–10
- Height
- 144–144 in
Armstrong Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus chinensis 'Armstrongii'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 600–720 in
Arrowwood Viburnum
Rarely damagedViburnum dentatum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–8
- Height
- 60–120 in
Autumn Olive
Seldom damagedElaeagnus umbellata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 120–192 in
Tree99
Allegheny Serviceberry
Seldom damagedAmelanchier laevis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Alternate-Leaved Dogwood
Occasionally damagedCornus alternifolia
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 180–300 in
American Arborvitae
Frequently damagedThuja occidentalis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
American Holly
Rarely damagedIlex opaca
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 480–720 in
American Persimmon
Occasionally damagedDiospyros virginiana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 360–960 in
American Plum
Occasionally damagedPrunus americana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 420–420 in
Bulb21
Autumn Crocus
Rarely damagedColchicum sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Bluebell
Rarely damagedEndymion sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Caladium
Occasionally damagedCaladium sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 9–11, genus range
Calla Lily
Seldom damagedZantedeschia sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–11, genus range
Camassia
Seldom damagedCamassia leichtlinii
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Canna Lily
Seldom damagedCanna sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–11, genus range
Annual47
Ageratum
Rarely damagedAgeratum houstonianum
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–12 in
Angel's Trumpet
Rarely damagedBrugmansia sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Anise
Rarely damagedPimpinella anisum
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Annual Candytuft
Seldom damagedIberis umbellata
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–18 in
Annual Geranium
Occasionally damagedPelargonium x hortorum
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–24 in
Annual Salvia
Seldom damagedSalvia splendens
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–36 in
Ornamental grass34
Bamboo
Seldom damagedBambusa sp.
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–11, genus range
Big Bluestem
Rarely damagedAndropogon sp.
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Blue Fescue
Rarely damagedFestuca glauca
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 9–12 in
Blue Oat Grass
Rarely damagedHelictotrichon sempervirens
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 24–36 in
Bottlebrush Grass
Seldom damagedHystrix patula
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 30–36 in
Clump Bamboo
Rarely damagedFargesia sp.
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9, genus range
Fern10
Christmas Fern
Rarely damagedPolystichum acrostichoides
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–36 in
Cinnamon Fern
Rarely damagedOsmunda cinnamomea
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 24–72 in
Hayscented Fern
Rarely damagedDennstaedtia punctilobula
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–24 in
Holly Fern
Rarely damagedCyrtomium falcatum
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–10
- Height
- 17–24 in
Japanese Painted Fern
Rarely damagedAthyrium niponicum
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 18–24 in
New York Fern
Rarely damagedThelypteris noveboracensis
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–24 in
Vine9
American Bittersweet
Seldom damagedCelastrus scandens
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 240–300 in
Clematis
Occasionally damagedClematis sp.
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Climbing Hydrangea
Occasionally damagedHydrangea anomala petiolaris
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
English Ivy
Occasionally damagedHedera helix
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 6–787 in
Goldflame Honeysuckle
Occasionally damagedLonicera x heckrottii
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
Trumpet Creeper
Occasionally damagedCampsis radicans
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 360–480 in
Groundcover16
Allegheny Spurge
Rarely damagedPachysandra procumbens
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 6–12 in
Barrenwort
Rarely damagedEpimedium sp.
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Bearberry
Rarely damagedArctostaphylos uva-ursi
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 6–12 in
Bishop's Weed
Rarely damagedAegopodium podagraria
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 6–36 in
Bugleweed
Rarely damagedAjuga reptans
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 6–12 in
Creeping Wintergreen
Seldom damagedGaultheria procumbens
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 4–8 in
Biennial6
Alpine Forget-Me-Not
Seldom damagedMyosotis alpestris
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Canterbury Bells
Occasionally damagedCampanula medium
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–36 in
Foxglove
Rarely damagedDigitalis purpurea
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 24–60 in
Money Plant
Seldom damagedLunaria annua
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 24–36 in
Parsley
Seldom damagedPetroselinum crispum
- Type
- Biennial
- Height
- 8–36 in
Sweet William
Seldom damagedDianthus barbatus
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–24 in