Deer-resistant plants for full sun
Full sun is where the deer-resistant palette is strongest, and it is not a coincidence. The plants that shrug off browsing are disproportionately aromatic Mediterranean subshrubs, and those evolved in hot dry open ground: lavender, rosemary, catmint, Russian sage, thyme, santolina. Their defense is the volatile oil that also needs sun to develop properly, so a lavender grown in part shade is both floppier and, in a small way, less unpalatable. The other reliable group here is the ornamental grasses, which deer ignore almost universally.
325 plants · page 2 of 6
Rarely Damaged31
Poppy
Rarely damagedPapaver sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Pot Marigold
Rarely damagedCalendula sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Prickly Pear Cactus
Rarely damagedOpuntia humifusa
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 6–12 in
Prince of Wales Juniper
Rarely damagedJuniperus horizontalis 'Prince of Wales'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Purple Moor Grass
Rarely damagedMolinia caerulea
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 24–48 in
Purple Rock-Cress
Rarely damagedAubrieta deltoidea
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Ravenna Grass
Rarely damagedErianthus ravennae
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 72–240 in
Red Pine
Rarely damagedPinus resinosa
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
River Birch
Rarely damagedBetula nigra
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 360–840 in
Rock-Cress
Rarely damagedArabis caucasica
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 6–12 in
Rose Campion
Rarely damagedLychnis coronaria
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 24–36 in
Rosemary
Rarely damagedSalvia rosmarinus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–10
- Height
- 48–60 in
Rue
Rarely damagedRuta sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Russian Olive
Rarely damagedElaeagnus angustifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 144–360 in
Russian Sage
Rarely damagedSalvia yangii
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 24–48 in
Silver Mound
Rarely damagedArtemisia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Small Globe Thistle
Rarely damagedEchinops ritro
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 36–48 in
Snapdragon
Rarely damagedAntirrhinum majus
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–36 in
Snow-on-the-Mountain
Rarely damagedEuphorbia marginata
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–36 in
Spider Flower
Rarely damagedCleome sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Spurge
Rarely damagedEuphorbia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Statice
Rarely damagedLimonium latifolium
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 12–18 in
Strawflower
Rarely damagedHelichrysum sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Sweet Alyssum
Rarely damagedLobularia maritima
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 3–10 in
Switchgrass
Rarely damagedPanicum virgatum
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 36–84 in
Tarragon
Rarely damagedArtemisia dracunculus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–36 in
Threadleaf Coreopsis
Rarely damagedCoreopsis verticillata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 30–36 in
Thyme
Rarely damagedThymus sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Variegated Purple Moor Grass
Rarely damagedMolinia caerulea 'Variegata'
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 24–48 in
Weeping Love Grass
Rarely damagedEragrostis curvula
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 24–60 in
Yucca
Rarely damagedYucca filamentosa
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 36–96 in
Seldom Severely Damaged29
African Lily
Seldom damagedAgapanthus sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–11, genus range
Annual Candytuft
Seldom damagedIberis umbellata
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–18 in
Annual Salvia
Seldom damagedSalvia splendens
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–36 in
Annual Verbena
Seldom damagedVerbena x hybrida
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Antelope Bitterbrush
Seldom damagedPurshia tridentata
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 144–144 in
Anthony Waterer Spirea
Seldom damagedSpiraea x bumalda
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Armstrong Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus chinensis 'Armstrongii'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 600–720 in
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
Austrian Pine
Seldom damagedPinus nigra
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
Autumn Olive
Seldom damagedElaeagnus umbellata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 120–192 in
Autumn Sage
Seldom damagedSalvia greggii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 24–36 in
Baby's Breath
Seldom damagedGypsophila sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Bachelor's Buttons
Seldom damagedCentaurea cyanus
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–36 in
Bamboo
Seldom damagedBambusa sp.
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–11, genus range
Banana Yucca
Seldom damagedYucca baccata
- Type
- Shrub
Basil
Seldom damagedOcimum basilicum
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 4–36 in
Bearberry Cotoneaster
Seldom damagedCotoneaster dammeri
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 12–12 in
Beautybush
Seldom damagedKolkwitzia amabilis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 72–120 in
Big Sagebrush
Seldom damagedArtemisia tridentata
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 108–108 in
Black-Eyed Susan
Seldom damagedRudbeckia hirta
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 36–36 in
Blanketflower
Seldom damagedGaillardia aristata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 48–48 in
Blazing Star
Seldom damagedLiatris sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Blue Sage
Seldom damagedSalvia pachyphylla
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–10
- Height
- 18–32 in
Blue Star Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus squamata 'Blue Star'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Borage
Seldom damagedBorago officinalis
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 19–38 in
Brambles
Seldom damagedRubus sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Bridalwreath Spirea
Seldom damagedSpiraea prunifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 48–96 in
Bugloss
Seldom damagedAnchusa sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range