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.
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Rarely Damaged24
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
Prince of Wales Juniper
Rarely damagedJuniperus horizontalis 'Prince of Wales'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
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
Rodgers Flower
Rarely damagedRodgersia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8, genus range
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
Siberian Bugloss
Rarely damagedBrunnera macrophylla
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–18 in
Siberian Squill
Rarely damagedScilla siberica
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–8
Snapdragon
Rarely damagedAntirrhinum majus
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–36 in
Snowdrops
Rarely damagedGalanthus nivalis
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 4–10 in
Spotted Deadnettle
Rarely damagedLamium sp.
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Spurge
Rarely damagedEuphorbia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Sweet Alyssum
Rarely damagedLobularia maritima
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 3–10 in
Sweet Box
Rarely damagedSarcococca hookeriana
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 48–60 in
Sweet Woodruff
Rarely damagedGalium odoratum
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 6–12 in
Threadleaf Coreopsis
Rarely damagedCoreopsis verticillata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 30–36 in
Wild Ginger
Rarely damagedAsarum canadense
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–6
- Height
- 6–12 in
Winter Aconite
Rarely damagedEranthis hyemalis
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 3–6 in
Wood Forget-Me-Not
Rarely damagedMyosotis sylvatica
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–12 in
Yucca
Rarely damagedYucca filamentosa
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 36–96 in
Seldom Severely Damaged36
Allegheny Serviceberry
Seldom damagedAmelanchier laevis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
American Bittersweet
Seldom damagedCelastrus scandens
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 240–300 in
Annual Candytuft
Seldom damagedIberis umbellata
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–18 in
Annual Salvia
Seldom damagedSalvia splendens
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–36 in
Annual Verbena
Seldom damagedVerbena x hybrida
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Antelope Bitterbrush
Seldom damagedPurshia tridentata
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 144–144 in
Apache Plume
Seldom damagedFallugia paradoxa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–10
- Height
- 144–144 in
Astilbe
Seldom damagedAstilbe x arendsii
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 18–35 in
Austrian Pine
Seldom damagedPinus nigra
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
Autumn Olive
Seldom damagedElaeagnus umbellata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 120–192 in
Autumn Sage
Seldom damagedSalvia greggii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 24–36 in
Banana Yucca
Seldom damagedYucca baccata
- Type
- Shrub
Bearberry Cotoneaster
Seldom damagedCotoneaster dammeri
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 12–12 in
Beautyberry
Seldom damagedCallicarpa sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–10, genus range
Beautybush
Seldom damagedKolkwitzia amabilis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 72–120 in
Blackhaw Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum prunifolium
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 144–180 in
Blue Sage
Seldom damagedSalvia pachyphylla
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–10
- Height
- 18–32 in
Brambles
Seldom damagedRubus sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Bridalwreath Spirea
Seldom damagedSpiraea prunifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 48–96 in
Buckthorn
Seldom damagedRhamnus sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7, genus range
Bugloss
Seldom damagedAnchusa sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Butterfly Weed
Seldom damagedAsclepias tuberosa
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–24 in
California Poppy
Seldom damagedEschscholzia californica
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–24 in
Calla Lily
Seldom damagedZantedeschia sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–11, genus range
Camassia
Seldom damagedCamassia leichtlinii
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Camellia
Seldom damagedCamellia japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–9
- Height
- 120–156 in
Carnation
Seldom damagedDianthus sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9, genus range
Carolina Silverbell
Seldom damagedHalesia carolina
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–480 in
Cherry Laurel
Seldom damagedPrunus laurocerasus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–8
- Height
- 120–240 in
Chinese Fringe Tree
Seldom damagedChionanthus retusus
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 120–360 in
Chinese Holly
Seldom damagedIlex cornuta
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–9
- Height
- 96–180 in
Chokecherry
Seldom damagedPrunus virginiana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 360–360 in
Coast Leucothoe
Seldom damagedLeucothoe axillaris
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
Colorado Four O'clock
Seldom damagedMirabilis multiflora
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 36–36 in
Columbine
Seldom damagedAquilegia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Common Flowering Quince
Seldom damagedChaenomeles speciosa
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 72–144 in