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 4 of 6
Seldom Severely Damaged60
Japanese Spirea
Seldom damagedSpiraea japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 48–72 in
Japanese Tree Lilac
Seldom damagedSyringa reticulata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 300–360 in
Lance Coreopsis
Seldom damagedCoreopsis lanceolata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 12–36 in
Lantana
Seldom damagedLantana camara
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–72 in
Large Beardtongue
Seldom damagedPenstemon grandiflorus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 48–48 in
Lupine
Seldom damagedLupinus sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Maltese Cross
Seldom damagedLychnis chalcedonica
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 20–40 in
Marigold
Seldom damagedTagetes patula
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–12 in
Mat Penstemon
Seldom damagedPenstemon caespitosus
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 4–6 in
Mosquito Plant
Seldom damagedAgastache cana
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 36–36 in
Mountain Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus scopulorum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 360–480 in
Mugo Pine
Seldom damagedPinus mugo
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 240–300 in
Mullein
Seldom damagedVerbascum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Nasturtium
Seldom damagedTropaeolum majus
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–120 in
Norway Spruce
Seldom damagedPicea abies
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
Oriental Poppy
Seldom damagedPapaver orientale
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 24–36 in
Pale Purple Coneflower
Seldom damagedEchinacea pallida
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 24–24 in
Palmer's Penstemon
Seldom damagedPenstemon palmeri
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 60–60 in
Perennial Candytuft
Seldom damagedIberis sempervirens
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 6–12 in
Perennial Salvia
Seldom damagedSalvia nemorosa
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 18–36 in
Pfitzer Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus chinensis 'Pfitzeriana'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 600–720 in
Pincushion Flower
Seldom damagedScabiosa caucasica
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 18–24 in
Prairie Sagewort
Seldom damagedArtemisia frigida
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 6–18 in
Purple Coneflower
Seldom damagedEchinacea purpurea
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 36–48 in
Purple Sage
Seldom damagedSalvia dorrii
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 36–36 in
Pyrenees Cotoneaster
Seldom damagedCotoneaster congestus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–8
Red-Hot Poker
Seldom damagedKniphofia uvaria
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
Rhubarb
Seldom damagedRheum rhabarbarum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Rockspray Cotoneaster
Seldom damagedCotoneaster horizontalis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–7
- Height
- 24–36 in
Rose of Sharon
Seldom damagedHibiscus syriacus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 96–144 in
Rubber Rabbitbrush
Seldom damagedEricameria nauseosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 12–90 in
Ruby Horsechestnut
Seldom damagedAesculus x carnea
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
Saucer Magnolia
Seldom damagedMagnolia x soulangiana
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
Savin Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus sabina
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
Savory
Seldom damagedSatureja montana
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–10
- Height
- 6–18 in
Scotch Pine
Seldom damagedPinus sylvestris
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 360–720 in
Sea Buckthorn
Seldom damagedHippophae rhamnoides
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Sea Thrift
Seldom damagedArmeria maritima
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 6–24 in
Sedge
Seldom damagedScirpus lacustris
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 48–96 in
Serbian Spruce
Seldom damagedPicea omorika
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 600–720 in
Showy Goldeneye
Seldom damagedHeliomeris multiflora
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 48–48 in
Sidebells Penstemon
Seldom damagedPenstemon secundiflorus
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 6–18 in
Silver Buffaloberry
Seldom damagedShepherdia argentea
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 240–240 in
Singleseed Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus squamata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Smith's Buckthorn
Seldom damagedRhamnus smithii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–120 in
Smokebush
Seldom damagedCotinus coggygria
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–180 in
Sneezeweed
Seldom damagedHelenium autumnale
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 36–60 in
Snow-in-Summer
Seldom damagedCerastium tomentosum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 6–12 in
Soapweed Yucca
Seldom damagedYucca glauca
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 36–54 in
Soapwort
Seldom damagedSaponaria sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Speedwell
Seldom damagedVeronica sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Stocks
Seldom damagedMatthiola sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Stokes Aster
Seldom damagedStokesia laevis
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 12–24 in
Swamp Milkweed
Seldom damagedAsclepias incarnata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–60 in
Sweet William
Seldom damagedDianthus barbatus
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–24 in
Threadleaf Giant Hyssop
Seldom damagedAgastache rupestris
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 36–36 in
Tiger Beardtongue
Seldom damagedPenstemon mensarum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–36 in
Tulip Tree
Seldom damagedLiriodendron tulipifera
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 960–1440 in
Upright Prairie Coneflower
Seldom damagedRatibida columnifera
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 36–36 in
Verbena
Seldom damagedVerbena bonariensis
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–11
- Height
- 24–60 in