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 3 of 3
Seldom Severely Damaged7
Virginia Sweetspire
Seldom damagedItea virginica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 48–96 in
Wax Currant
Seldom damagedRibes cereum
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 72–72 in
Wild Bergamot
Seldom damagedMonarda fistulosa
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 60–60 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
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
Occasionally Severely Damaged46
American Plum
Occasionally damagedPrunus americana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 420–420 in
Annual Geranium
Occasionally damagedPelargonium x hortorum
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–24 in
Avens
Occasionally damagedGeum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Balsam Fir
Occasionally damagedAbies balsamea
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–840 in
Bellflower
Occasionally damagedCampanula glomerata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–18 in
Bigleaf Hydrangea
Occasionally damagedHydrangea macrophylla
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–11
- Height
- 36–72 in
Bloodtwig Dogwood
Occasionally damagedCornus sanguinea
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–7
- Height
- 60–180 in
Bloody Cranesbill
Occasionally damagedGeranium sanguineum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 10–20 in
Blue Holly
Occasionally damagedIlex x meserveae
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–7
Cambridge Geranium
Occasionally damagedGeranium x cantabrigiense
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Carolina Hemlock
Occasionally damagedTsuga caroliniana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–7
- Height
- 360–840 in
Carolina Rhododendron
Occasionally damagedRhododendron carolinianum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 36–72 in
Catawba Rhododendron
Occasionally damagedRhododendron catawbiense
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 72–120 in
Chameleon Spurge
Occasionally damagedEuphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon'
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
Clarke Geranium
Occasionally damagedGeranium clarkei
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Clematis
Occasionally damagedClematis sp.
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Comfrey
Occasionally damagedSymphytum officinale
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 12–36 in
Cornelian Cherry
Occasionally damagedCornus mas
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Deciduous Azalea
Occasionally damagedRhododendron sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8, genus range
Eastern Redbud
Occasionally damagedCercis canadensis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 240–360 in
English Daisy
Occasionally damagedBellis perennis
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 3–6 in
Flowering Dogwood
Occasionally damagedCornus florida
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 180–300 in
Fragrant Winterhazel
Occasionally damagedCorylopsis glabrescens
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 96–180 in
Fraser Fir
Occasionally damagedAbies fraseri
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 360–660 in
Garden Balsam
Occasionally damagedImpatiens balsamina
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–30 in
Globeflower
Occasionally damagedTrollius sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7, genus range
Goat's Beard
Occasionally damagedAruncus sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7, genus range
Gooseneck Loosestrife
Occasionally damagedLysimachia clethroides
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 24–36 in
Highbush Blueberry
Occasionally damagedVaccinium corymbosum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 72–144 in
Japanese Euonymus
Occasionally damagedEuonymus japonicus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 120–180 in
Japanese Holly
Occasionally damagedIlex crenata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 60–120 in
Meadowsweet
Occasionally damagedFilipendula sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Mountain Bluet
Occasionally damagedCentaurea montana
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–24 in
Mountain Laurel
Occasionally damagedKalmia latifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 48–180 in
Multiflora Rose
Occasionally damagedRosa multiflora
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 120–180 in
Nellie Stevens Holly
Occasionally damagedIlex x 'Nellie R. Stevens'
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Occasionally damagedHydrangea quercifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 48–96 in
Panicle Hydrangea
Occasionally damagedHydrangea paniculata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 96–300 in
Panicled Dogwood
Occasionally damagedCornus racemosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–324 in
Pansy
Occasionally damagedViola x wittrockiana
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–10 in
Pernyi Holly
Occasionally damagedIlex pernyi
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–10
- Height
- 108–144 in
Pink Turtlehead
Occasionally damagedChelone sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Smooth Hydrangea
Occasionally damagedHydrangea arborescens
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–60 in
Western Arborvitae
Occasionally damagedThuja plicata
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–7
- Height
- 600–840 in
White Fringe Tree
Occasionally damagedChionanthus virginicus
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 144–360 in
Winged Euonymus
Occasionally damagedEuonymus alatus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 180–240 in
Frequently Severely Damaged7
American Arborvitae
Frequently damagedThuja occidentalis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
Endres Cranesbill
Frequently damagedGeranium endressii
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Evergreen Azalea
Frequently damagedRhododendron sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9, genus range
Japanese Yew
Frequently damagedTaxus cuspidata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 120–300 in
Ladino White Clover
Frequently damagedTrifolium repens
- Type
- Food plot forage
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 4–6 in
Pinxterbloom Azalea
Frequently damagedRhododendron periclymenoides
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 48–120 in
Rhododendron
Frequently damagedRhododendron sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8, genus range