Deer-resistant plants for South Dakota
Long winters and shelterbelt deer. Choose for zone 3 hardiness first and read the ratings second. Filtered to plants hardy in USDA zones 3 to 5, which covers most of South Dakota. Mountain and coastal areas fall outside that range, so check your own zone before ordering.
387 plants · page 2 of 7
Safest choices60
Hard Rush
Rarely damagedJuncus effusus
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
Hayscented Fern
Rarely damagedDennstaedtia punctilobula
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–24 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
Heliotrope
Rarely damagedHeliotropium arborescens
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–30 in
Hellebore
Rarely damagedHelleborus orientalis
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 12–18 in
Horehound
Rarely damagedMarrubium vulgare
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–24 in
Horseradish
Rarely damagedArmoracia rusticana
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 24–60 in
Hyssop
Rarely damagedHyssopus officinalis
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 18–24 in
Indian Grass
Rarely damagedSorghastrum nutans
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 60–84 in
Iris
Rarely damagedIris sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Rarely damagedArisaema triphyllum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 12–30 in
Japanese Barberry
Rarely damagedBerberis thunbergii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 36–72 in
Japanese Black Pine
Rarely damagedPinus thunbergiana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 240–720 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 Painted Fern
Rarely damagedAthyrium niponicum
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 18–24 in
Japanese Pieris
Rarely damagedPieris japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 96–120 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
Katsura Tree
Rarely damagedCercidiphyllum japonicum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 480–720 in
Lambs Ear
Rarely damagedStachys byzantina
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 12–18 in
Larkspur
Rarely damagedConsolida ambigua
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Lavender
Rarely damagedLavandula angustifolia
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 12–24 in
Lemon Balm
Rarely damagedMelissa officinalis
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 24–36 in
Lily of the Valley
Rarely damagedConvallaria majalis
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 6–10 in
Little Bluestem
Rarely damagedSchizachyrium scoparium
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 24–48 in
Lungwort
Rarely damagedPulmonaria officinalis
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 6–12 in
Lyme Grass
Rarely damagedLeymus arenarius
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 24–48 in
May Apple
Rarely damagedPodophyllum peltatum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–18 in
Meadow Rue
Rarely damagedThalictrum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Mint
Rarely damagedMentha sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Monkshood
Rarely damagedAconitum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7, genus range
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
New York Fern
Rarely damagedThelypteris noveboracensis
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–24 in
Northern Sea Oats
Rarely damagedChasmanthium latifolium
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 24–60 in
Oregano
Rarely damagedOriganum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Oregon Grape Holly
Rarely damagedMahonia aquifolium
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 36–72 in
Ornamental Onion
Rarely damagedAllium giganteum
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 12–72 in
Ostrich Fern
Rarely damagedMatteuccia struthiopteris
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 36–60 in
Pachysandra
Rarely damagedPachysandra terminalis
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 6–12 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
Peony
Rarely damagedPaeonia lactiflora
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 24–35 in
Pitch Pine
Rarely damagedPinus rigida
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
Poppy
Rarely damagedPapaver sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Pot Marigold
Rarely damagedCalendula sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Prickly Pear Cactus
Rarely damagedOpuntia humifusa
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 6–12 in
Prince of Wales Juniper
Rarely damagedJuniperus horizontalis 'Prince of Wales'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Purple Moor Grass
Rarely damagedMolinia caerulea
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 24–48 in
Purple Rock-Cress
Rarely damagedAubrieta deltoidea
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Ravenna Grass
Rarely damagedErianthus ravennae
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 72–240 in
Red Elderberry
Rarely damagedSambucus racemosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
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
Rock-Cress
Rarely damagedArabis caucasica
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 6–12 in
Rocket Ligularia
Rarely damagedLigularia 'The Rocket'
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Rodgers Flower
Rarely damagedRodgersia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8, genus range