Deer-resistant plants for Iowa
Farmland deer with abundant summer forage and very little in February. Winter is when plantings get tested. Filtered to plants hardy in USDA zones 4 to 6, which covers most of Iowa. Mountain and coastal areas fall outside that range, so check your own zone before ordering.
414 plants · page 5 of 7
Usually fine60
Delphinium
Seldom damagedDelphinium sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7, genus range
Dense Blazing Star
Seldom damagedLiatris spicata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 72–72 in
Deutzia
Seldom damagedDeutzia sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8, genus range
Dianthus
Seldom damagedDianthus spp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
- Height
- 4–36 in
Dill
Seldom damagedAnethum graveolens
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 30–60 in
Dotted Blazing Star
Seldom damagedLiatris punctata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–36 in
Doublefile Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum plicatum tomentosum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 96–180 in
Douglas Fir
Seldom damagedPseudotsuga menziesii
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–6
- Height
- 480–960 in
Downy Serviceberry
Seldom damagedAmelanchier arborea
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 180–300 in
Drooping Sedge
Seldom damagedCarex pendula
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
Dwarf Balsam Fir
Seldom damagedAbies balsamea 'Nana'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–840 in
Dwarf Mondo Grass
Seldom damagedOphiopogon japonicus
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–10
- Height
- 6–12 in
Eastern Red Cedar
Seldom damagedJuniperus virginiana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–9
- Height
- 360–480 in
Eastern White Pine
Seldom damagedPinus strobus
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 600–960 in
English Hawthorn
Seldom damagedCrataegus laevigata
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
European Ash
Seldom damagedFraxinus excelsior
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
European Beech
Seldom damagedFagus sylvatica
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 600–720 in
European White Birch
Seldom damagedBetula pendula
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 360–600 in
Fernleaf Yarrow
Seldom damagedAchillea filipendulina
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–48 in
Feverfew
Seldom damagedTanacetum parthenium
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 12–36 in
Firethorn
Seldom damagedPyracantha coccinea
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 72–216 in
Foam Flower
Seldom damagedTiarella cordifolia
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 5–12 in
Forsythia
Seldom damagedForsythia x intermedia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Fothergilla
Seldom damagedFothergilla sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Gas Plant
Seldom damagedDictamnus albus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 24–36 in
Gaura
Seldom damagedOenothera lindheimeri
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 36–60 in
Glossy Abelia
Seldom damagedAbelia sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9, genus range
Golden Currant
Seldom damagedRibes aureum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–120 in
Goldenrain Tree
Seldom damagedKoelreuteria paniculata
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 360–480 in
Goldenrod
Seldom damagedSolidago sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Grape Hyacinth
Seldom damagedMuscari sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Green Ash
Seldom damagedFraxinus pennsylvanica
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 600–840 in
Hazelnut
Seldom damagedCorylus sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Heartleaf Bergenia
Seldom damagedBergenia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Hens and Chickens
Seldom damagedSempervivum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Himalayan Birch
Seldom damagedBetula jacquemontii
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 360–600 in
Honey Locust
Seldom damagedGleditsia triacanthos
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 720–960 in
Hyacinth
Seldom damagedHyacinthus sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Inkberry
Seldom damagedIlex glabra
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–11
- Height
- 60–120 in
Jacob's Ladder
Seldom damagedPolemonium caeruleum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Japanese Anemone
Seldom damagedAnemone x hybrida
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Japanese Cedar
Seldom damagedCryptomeria japonica
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 600–840 in
Japanese Falsecypress
Seldom damagedChamaecyparis pisifera
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 600–840 in
Japanese Flowering Cherry
Seldom damagedPrunus serrulata
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Japanese Flowering Quince
Seldom damagedChaenomeles japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 24–36 in
Japanese Garden Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus procumbens 'Nana'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Japanese Kerria
Seldom damagedKerria japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 36–84 in
Japanese Maple
Seldom damagedAcer palmatum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Japanese Red Pine
Seldom damagedPinus densiflora
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
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
Judd Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum x juddii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Koreanspice Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum carlesii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 48–72 in
Kousa Dogwood
Seldom damagedCornus kousa
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 240–360 in
Lady's Mantle
Seldom damagedAlchemilla sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
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
Leadplant
Seldom damagedAmorpha canescens
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–9
- Height
- 36–36 in
Leatherleaf Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum rhytidophyllum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 120–180 in