Deer-resistant plants for part shade
Part shade is the awkward middle, and it is where most real gardens actually sit: a few hours of morning sun, shade from mid-afternoon, or dappled light under high tree canopy. Sun-loving aromatics get leggy here and true woodland plants scorch, so the plants that work are the ones tolerant of both. Hellebore, epimedium, brunnera and most ferns hold up, and several full-sun performers will take it with reduced flowering. If the spot gets less than about three hours, treat it as shade instead.
180 plants · page 2 of 3
Seldom Severely Damaged60
Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany
Seldom damagedCercocarpus ledifolius
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 360–360 in
Currant
Seldom damagedRibes sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Downy Serviceberry
Seldom damagedAmelanchier arborea
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 180–300 in
Dwarf Balsam Fir
Seldom damagedAbies balsamea 'Nana'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–840 in
Elephant Ear
Seldom damagedColocasia esculenta
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–11
- Height
- 36–72 in
English Holly
Seldom damagedIlex aquifolium
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–8
- Height
- 360–600 in
European Beech
Seldom damagedFagus sylvatica
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 600–720 in
Firecracker Penstemon
Seldom damagedPenstemon eatonii
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 36–36 in
Fothergilla
Seldom damagedFothergilla sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Front Range Beardtongue
Seldom damagedPenstemon virens
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 24–24 in
Gambel Oak
Seldom damagedQuercus gambelii
- Type
- Tree
- Height
- 600–600 in
Gardenia
Seldom damagedGardenia jasminoides
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–11
- Height
- 48–96 in
Golden Currant
Seldom damagedRibes aureum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–120 in
Grape Hyacinth
Seldom damagedMuscari sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Heartleaf Bergenia
Seldom damagedBergenia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Holly Osmanthus
Seldom damagedOsmanthus heterophyllus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–9
- Height
- 96–240 in
Inkberry
Seldom damagedIlex glabra
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–11
- Height
- 60–120 in
Japanese Anemone
Seldom damagedAnemone x hybrida
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
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
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
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
Lobelia
Seldom damagedLobelia erinus
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–9 in
Lyreleaf Greeneyes
Seldom damagedBerlandiera lyrata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 48–48 in
Mist Flower
Seldom damagedConoclinium coelestinum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–10
- Height
- 18–36 in
Money Plant
Seldom damagedLunaria annua
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 24–36 in
New England Aster
Seldom damagedSymphyotrichum novae-angliae
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 36–84 in
Obedient Plant
Seldom damagedPhysostegia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Old Man's Whiskers
Seldom damagedGeum triflorum
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 6–18 in
Oneseed Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus monosperma
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 480–480 in
Paperbark Maple
Seldom damagedAcer griseum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 240–360 in
Parsley
Seldom damagedPetroselinum crispum
- Type
- Biennial
- Height
- 8–36 in
Patrinia
Seldom damagedPatrinia scabiosifolia
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 36–72 in
Plains Blackfoot
Seldom damagedMelampodium leucanthum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–11
- Height
- 12–24 in
Plumbago
Seldom damagedCeratostigma plumbaginoides
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 6–8 in
Plume Poppy
Seldom damagedMacleaya cordata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Ponderosa Pine
Seldom damagedPinus ponderosa
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 1800–1800 in
Privet
Seldom damagedLigustrum sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8, genus range
Red Chokeberry
Seldom damagedAronia arbutifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 72–144 in
Red Maple
Seldom damagedAcer rubrum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–9
- Height
- 480–1440 in
Red Osier Dogwood
Seldom damagedCornus sericea
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 60–108 in
Red Twigged Dogwood
Seldom damagedCornus alba
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 96–120 in
Redvein Enkianthus
Seldom damagedEnkianthus campanulatus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 72–192 in
Ribbon Grass
Seldom damagedPhalaris arundinacea
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 24–60 in
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Seldom damagedPenstemon strictus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 36–36 in
Rocky Mountain Zinnia
Seldom damagedZinnia grandiflora
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 6–8 in
San Jose Holly
Seldom damagedIlex x aquipernyi
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
Shadbush
Seldom damagedAmelanchier canadensis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Shiso
Seldom damagedPerilla frutescens
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–36 in
Shrubby St. John's Wort
Seldom damagedHypericum prolificum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–60 in
Sourwood
Seldom damagedOxydendrum arboreum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 240–360 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
Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat
Seldom damagedEriogonum umbellatum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 72–72 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