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 7 of 7
Usually fine54
Shrubby St. John's Wort
Seldom damagedHypericum prolificum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–60 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
Skunk Cabbage
Seldom damagedSymplocarpus foetidus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 24–36 in
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
Snowberry
Seldom damagedSymphoricarpos albus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 36–72 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
Sourwood
Seldom damagedOxydendrum arboreum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 240–360 in
Speedwell
Seldom damagedVeronica sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Spicebush
Seldom damagedLindera benzoin
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 96–180 in
Spiderwort
Seldom damagedTradescantia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Sticky Purple Geranium
Seldom damagedGeranium viscosissimum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 36–36 in
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
Stretchberry
Seldom damagedForestiera pubescens
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 39–180 in
Striped Maple
Seldom damagedAcer pensylvanicum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 180–420 in
Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat
Seldom damagedEriogonum umbellatum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 72–72 in
Swamp Milkweed
Seldom damagedAsclepias incarnata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–60 in
Sweet Elder
Seldom damagedSambucus canadensis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 60–144 in
Sweet Mock Orange
Seldom damagedPhiladelphus coronarius
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–144 in
Sweet Pepperbush
Seldom damagedClethra sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
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
Toad Lily
Seldom damagedTricyrtis hirta
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Trillium
Seldom damagedTrillium sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Trout Lily
Seldom damagedErythronium sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
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
Violets
Seldom damagedViola sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Virginia Bluebells
Seldom damagedMertensia virginica
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 18–24 in
Virginia Sweetspire
Seldom damagedItea virginica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 48–96 in
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 Snakeroot
Seldom damagedAgeratina altissima
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 24–60 in
White Spruce
Seldom damagedPicea glauca
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 480–720 in
Wild Bergamot
Seldom damagedMonarda fistulosa
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 60–60 in
Willowleaf Cotoneaster
Seldom damagedCotoneaster salicifolius
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–8
- Height
- 24–36 in
Winter Jasmine
Seldom damagedJasminum nudiflorum
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–10
- Height
- 120–180 in
Winterberry Holly
Seldom damagedIlex verticillata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–180 in
Wisteria
Seldom damagedWisteria floribunda
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
Wood Sorrel
Seldom damagedOxalis sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Yarrow
Seldom damagedAchillea millefolium
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–36 in
Yellow Birch
Seldom damagedBetula alleghaniensis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 840–960 in
Yellow Foxglove
Seldom damagedDigitalis grandiflora
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Yellow Wax-Bells
Seldom damagedKirengeshoma palmata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
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