Plants deer rarely damage
This is the tier to plant from if you are starting over after a bad year. Rutgers rates these as rarely damaged, which in practice means deer walk past them even when the pressure is high. Most earn it through scent, fuzzy or leathery leaves, or sap that tastes wrong. None of it is a guarantee: a deer that is hungry enough will test anything once, and a newly planted specimen is always more attractive than an established one.
170 plants · page 2 of 3
Shrub25
Boxwood
Rarely damagedBuxus sempervirens
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 60–240 in
Broom
Rarely damagedCytisus sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8, genus range
Bush Cinquefoil
Rarely damagedPotentilla fruticosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 24–48 in
Butterfly Bush
Rarely damagedBuddleja davidii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 72–144 in
Daphne
Rarely damagedDaphne sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Devil's Walking Stick
Rarely damagedAralia spinosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 120–420 in
Drooping Leucothoe
Rarely damagedLeucothoe fontanesiana
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–6
- Height
- 24–72 in
Fragrant Sumac
Rarely damagedRhus aromatica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 24–72 in
Heath
Rarely damagedErica sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–7, genus range
Heather
Rarely damagedCalluna sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–6, genus range
Japanese Barberry
Rarely damagedBerberis thunbergii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 36–72 in
Japanese Pieris
Rarely damagedPieris japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 96–120 in
Japanese Plum Yew
Rarely damagedCephalotaxus harringtonia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 60–120 in
Japanese Skimmia
Rarely damagedSkimmia japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–8
- Height
- 24–84 in
John T. Morris Holly
Rarely damagedIlex x 'John T. Morris'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
Leatherleaf Mahonia
Rarely damagedMahonia bealei
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–9
- Height
- 48–120 in
Lydia Morris Holly
Rarely damagedIlex x 'Lydia Morris'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
Moonglow Juniper
Rarely damagedJuniperus scopulorum 'Moonglow'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 360–480 in
Mountain Pieris
Rarely damagedPieris floribunda
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–6
- Height
- 48–72 in
Oregon Grape Holly
Rarely damagedMahonia aquifolium
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 36–72 in
Prince of Wales Juniper
Rarely damagedJuniperus horizontalis 'Prince of Wales'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Red Elderberry
Rarely damagedSambucus racemosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
Rosemary
Rarely damagedSalvia rosmarinus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–10
- Height
- 48–60 in
Russian Olive
Rarely damagedElaeagnus angustifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 144–360 in
Sweet Box
Rarely damagedSarcococca hookeriana
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 48–60 in
Tree11
American Holly
Rarely damagedIlex opaca
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 480–720 in
Bottlebrush Buckeye
Rarely damagedAesculus parviflora
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 96–144 in
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Rarely damagedPicea glauca 'Conica'
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 480–720 in
Japanese Black Pine
Rarely damagedPinus thunbergiana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 240–720 in
Katsura Tree
Rarely damagedCercidiphyllum japonicum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 480–720 in
Mimosa
Rarely damagedAlbizia julibrissin
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 240–480 in
Paper Birch
Rarely damagedBetula papyrifera
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 600–840 in
Pawpaw
Rarely damagedAsimina triloba
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 180–360 in
Pitch Pine
Rarely damagedPinus rigida
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
Red Pine
Rarely damagedPinus resinosa
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
River Birch
Rarely damagedBetula nigra
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 360–840 in
Bulb8
Autumn Crocus
Rarely damagedColchicum sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Bluebell
Rarely damagedEndymion sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Crown Imperial
Rarely damagedFritillaria imperialis
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 36–48 in
Daffodil
Rarely damagedNarcissus spp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
- Height
- 8–18 in
Ornamental Onion
Rarely damagedAllium giganteum
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 12–72 in
Siberian Squill
Rarely damagedScilla siberica
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–8
Snowdrops
Rarely damagedGalanthus nivalis
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 4–10 in
Winter Aconite
Rarely damagedEranthis hyemalis
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 3–6 in
Ornamental grass16
Big Bluestem
Rarely damagedAndropogon sp.
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Blue Fescue
Rarely damagedFestuca glauca
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 9–12 in
Blue Oat Grass
Rarely damagedHelictotrichon sempervirens
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 24–36 in
Clump Bamboo
Rarely damagedFargesia sp.
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9, genus range
Feather Reed Grass
Rarely damagedCalamagrostis sp.
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Fountain Grass
Rarely damagedPennisetum alopecuroides
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 24–72 in
Giant Japanese Silver Grass
Rarely damagedMiscanthus floridulus
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 96–144 in
Giant Reed
Rarely damagedArundo donax
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–10
Golden Bamboo
Rarely damagedPhyllostachys aurea
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 180–240 in
Hard Rush
Rarely damagedJuncus effusus
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
Indian Grass
Rarely damagedSorghastrum nutans
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 60–84 in
Japanese Blood Grass
Rarely damagedImperata cylindrica
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 24–48 in
Japanese Forest Grass
Rarely damagedHakonechloa macra
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 12–18 in
Japanese Sedge
Rarely damagedCarex sp.
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9, genus range
Japanese Silver Grass
Rarely damagedMiscanthus sinensis
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 48–144 in
Japanese Sweet Flag
Rarely damagedAcorus sp.
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9, genus range