Deer-resistant plants that bloom in spring
Spring is the hardest season to get right in deer country, and not because of the flowers. It is the hungry gap: winter browse is gone, new growth is the only soft green thing available, and deer will eat things in April that they would walk past in July. Bulbs are the reliable answer, and daffodils in particular, because lycorine makes them genuinely toxic rather than merely unpalatable.
241 plants · page 1 of 5
Rarely Damaged59
Allegheny Spurge
Pachysandra procumbens
Rarely damaged- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 6–12 in
American Holly
Ilex opaca
Rarely damaged- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 480–720 in
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–8
- Height
- 60–120 in
Bayberry
Myrica pensylvanica
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 72–96 in
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Rarely damaged- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 6–12 in
Bishop's Weed
Aegopodium podagraria
Rarely damaged- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 6–36 in
Bleeding Heart
Lamprocapnos spectabilis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 24–36 in
Boxwood
Buxus sempervirens
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 60–240 in
Bugleweed
Ajuga reptans
Rarely damaged- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 6–12 in
Crown Imperial
Fritillaria imperialis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 36–48 in
Dame's Rocket
Hesperis matronalis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–36 in
Drooping Leucothoe
Leucothoe fontanesiana
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–6
- Height
- 24–72 in
Dusty Miller
Centaurea cineraria
Rarely damaged- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–24 in
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Picea glauca 'Conica'
Rarely damaged- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 480–720 in
False Indigo
Baptisia australis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–48 in
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
Rarely damaged- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 24–60 in
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 24–72 in
Germander
Teucrium chamaedrys
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Hellebore
Helleborus orientalis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 12–18 in
Horehound
Marrubium vulgare
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–24 in
Horseradish
Armoracia rusticana
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 24–60 in
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Arisaema triphyllum
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 12–30 in
Japanese Barberry
Berberis thunbergii
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 36–72 in
Japanese Black Pine
Pinus thunbergiana
Rarely damaged- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 240–720 in
Japanese Pieris
Pieris japonica
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 96–120 in
Japanese Silver Grass
Miscanthus sinensis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 48–144 in
Japanese Skimmia
Skimmia japonica
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–8
- Height
- 24–84 in
Katsura Tree
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Rarely damaged- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 480–720 in
Lavender-Cotton
Santolina chamaecyparissus
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 12–24 in
Leatherleaf Mahonia
Mahonia bealei
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–9
- Height
- 48–120 in
Lily of the Valley
Convallaria majalis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 6–10 in
Lungwort
Pulmonaria officinalis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 6–12 in
May Apple
Podophyllum peltatum
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–18 in
Mimosa
Albizia julibrissin
Rarely damaged- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 240–480 in
Moonglow Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum 'Moonglow'
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 360–480 in
Mountain Pieris
Pieris floribunda
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–6
- Height
- 48–72 in
Oregon Grape Holly
Mahonia aquifolium
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 36–72 in
Ornamental Onion
Allium giganteum
Rarely damaged- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 12–72 in
Pachysandra
Pachysandra terminalis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 6–12 in
Paper Birch
Betula papyrifera
Rarely damaged- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 600–840 in
Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
Rarely damaged- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 180–360 in
Pitch Pine
Pinus rigida
Rarely damaged- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
Prince of Wales Juniper
Juniperus horizontalis 'Prince of Wales'
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
River Birch
Betula nigra
Rarely damaged- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 360–840 in
Rock-Cress
Arabis caucasica
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 6–12 in
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–10
- Height
- 48–60 in
Russian Olive
Elaeagnus angustifolia
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 144–360 in
Siberian Bugloss
Brunnera macrophylla
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–18 in
Siberian Squill
Scilla siberica
Rarely damaged- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–8
Snapdragon
Antirrhinum majus
Rarely damaged- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–36 in
Snowdrops
Galanthus nivalis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 4–10 in
Sweet Alyssum
Lobularia maritima
Rarely damaged- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 3–10 in
Sweet Box
Sarcococca hookeriana
Rarely damaged- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 48–60 in
Sweet Woodruff
Galium odoratum
Rarely damaged- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 6–12 in
Threadleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis verticillata
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 30–36 in
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–6
- Height
- 6–12 in
Winter Aconite
Eranthis hyemalis
Rarely damaged- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 3–6 in
Wood Forget-Me-Not
Myosotis sylvatica
Rarely damaged- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–12 in
Yucca
Yucca filamentosa
Rarely damaged- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 36–96 in
