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 5 of 6
Seldom Severely Damaged10
Wallflower
Seldom damagedErysimum sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Weigela
Seldom damagedWeigela florida
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 72–120 in
White Boltonia
Seldom damagedBoltonia asteroides
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 36–60 in
White Sagebrush
Seldom damagedArtemisia ludoviciana
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 36–36 in
White Spruce
Seldom damagedPicea glauca
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 480–720 in
Willowleaf Cotoneaster
Seldom damagedCotoneaster salicifolius
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–8
- Height
- 24–36 in
Wisteria
Seldom damagedWisteria floribunda
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
Yarrow
Seldom damagedAchillea millefolium
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–36 in
Youngstown Andorra Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus horizontalis 'Youngstown'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Zinnia
Seldom damagedZinnia elegans
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–36 in
Occasionally Severely Damaged50
American Persimmon
Occasionally damagedDiospyros virginiana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 360–960 in
Apple
Occasionally damagedMalus sp.
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Atlantic White Cedar
Occasionally damagedChamaecyparis thyoides
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 720–960 in
Atlas Cedar
Occasionally damagedCedrus atlantica
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 480–720 in
Bald Cypress
Occasionally damagedTaxodium distichum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 600–840 in
Balloon Flower
Occasionally damagedPlatycodon grandiflorus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–24 in
Basswood
Occasionally damagedTilia americana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 720–960 in
Black Locust
Occasionally damagedRobinia pseudoacacia
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 600–600 in
Blanket Flower
Occasionally damagedGaillardia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10, genus range
Buckwheat
Occasionally damagedFagopyrum esculentum
- Type
- Food plot forage
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
Callery Pear
Occasionally damagedPyrus calleryana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 360–600 in
Canterbury Bells
Occasionally damagedCampanula medium
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–36 in
Checkermallow
Occasionally damagedSidalcea malviflora
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
Chestnut Oak
Occasionally damagedQuercus prinus
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 720–960 in
Chinese Chestnut
Occasionally damagedCastanea mollissima
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 480–720 in
Chinese Lilac
Occasionally damagedSyringa x chinensis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
Common Horsechestnut
Occasionally damagedAesculus hippocastanum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 600–900 in
Common Pear
Occasionally damagedPyrus communis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 480–600 in
Cosmos
Occasionally damagedCosmos sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Crabapple
Occasionally damagedMalus sp.
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
- Height
- 177–299 in
Dahlia
Occasionally damagedDahlia sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Daylily
Occasionally damagedHemerocallis spp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
- Height
- 18–35 in
European Larch
Occasionally damagedLarix decidua
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 720–1200 in
Fleabane
Occasionally damagedErigeron sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9, genus range
Garden Lily
Occasionally damagedLilium sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Garden Mum
Occasionally damagedChrysanthemum morifolium
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 12–36 in
Garden Petunia
Occasionally damagedPetunia sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Garden Rose
Occasionally damagedRosa spp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
- Height
- 24–71 in
Gerbera Daisy
Occasionally damagedGerbera jamesonii
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–18 in
Goldflame Honeysuckle
Occasionally damagedLonicera x heckrottii
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
Greenspire Littleleaf Linden
Occasionally damagedTilia cordata 'Greenspire'
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 600–720 in
Hinoki Cypress
Occasionally damagedChamaecyparis obtusa
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 600–900 in
Hollyhock
Occasionally damagedAlcea sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Hybrid Tea Rose
Occasionally damagedRosa x hybrida
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
Late Lilac
Occasionally damagedSyringa villosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 72–120 in
Leyland Cypress
Occasionally damagedCupressocyparis leylandii
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–10
Morning Glory
Occasionally damagedIpomoea sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Northern Red Oak
Occasionally damagedQuercus rubra
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 600–840 in
Norway Maple
Occasionally damagedAcer platanoides
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–600 in
Penstemon
Occasionally damagedPenstemon sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Persian Lilac
Occasionally damagedSyringa x persica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Phlox
Occasionally damagedPhlox sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Purple Leaf Sand Cherry
Occasionally damagedPrunus x cistena
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Purple Loosestrife
Occasionally damagedLythrum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Rose Mallow
Occasionally damagedHibiscus moscheutos
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 24–72 in
Rugosa Rose
Occasionally damagedRosa rugosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 48–72 in
Sawtooth Oak
Occasionally damagedQuercus acutissima
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 360–720 in
Shasta Daisy
Occasionally damagedLeucanthemum x superbum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
Shore Juniper
Occasionally damagedJuniperus conferta
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 12–18 in
Silver Maple
Occasionally damagedAcer saccharinum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 600–960 in