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.
341 plants · page 3 of 6
Seldom Severely Damaged60
Common Hackberry
Seldom damagedCeltis occidentalis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 1200–1200 in
Common Lilac
Seldom damagedSyringa vulgaris
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 96–192 in
Common Sassafras
Seldom damagedSassafras albidum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 360–720 in
Common Sweetshrub
Seldom damagedCalycanthus floridus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 72–144 in
Coral Bells
Seldom damagedHeuchera americana
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 12–36 in
Coralberry
Seldom damagedSymphoricarpos x chenaultii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
Corkscrew Willow
Seldom damagedSalix matsudana 'Tortuosa'
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–8
- Height
- 360–480 in
Cranberry Bush
Seldom damagedViburnum opulus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–8
- Height
- 144–192 in
Cranberry Cotoneaster
Seldom damagedCotoneaster apiculatus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 24–36 in
Creeping Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus horizontalis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Crocus
Seldom damagedCrocus sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany
Seldom damagedCercocarpus ledifolius
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 360–360 in
Cyclamen
Seldom damagedCyclamen sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9, genus range
Delicious Raspberry
Seldom damagedRubus deliciosus
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 72–72 in
Delphinium
Seldom damagedDelphinium sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7, genus range
Desert Princesplume
Seldom damagedStanleya pinnata
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 72–72 in
Deutzia
Seldom damagedDeutzia sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8, genus range
Dianthus
Seldom damagedDianthus spp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
- Height
- 4–36 in
Doublefile Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum plicatum tomentosum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 96–180 in
Douglas Fir
Seldom damagedPseudotsuga menziesii
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–6
- Height
- 480–960 in
Downy Serviceberry
Seldom damagedAmelanchier arborea
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 180–300 in
Eastern White Pine
Seldom damagedPinus strobus
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 600–960 in
English Holly
Seldom damagedIlex aquifolium
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–8
- Height
- 360–600 in
European Ash
Seldom damagedFraxinus excelsior
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
European Beech
Seldom damagedFagus sylvatica
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 600–720 in
European White Birch
Seldom damagedBetula pendula
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 360–600 in
Fernleaf Yarrow
Seldom damagedAchillea filipendulina
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–48 in
Firecracker Penstemon
Seldom damagedPenstemon eatonii
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 36–36 in
Firethorn
Seldom damagedPyracantha coccinea
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
- Height
- 72–216 in
Foam Flower
Seldom damagedTiarella cordifolia
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 5–12 in
Forsythia
Seldom damagedForsythia x intermedia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Fothergilla
Seldom damagedFothergilla sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Front Range Beardtongue
Seldom damagedPenstemon virens
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 24–24 in
Gambel Oak
Seldom damagedQuercus gambelii
- Type
- Tree
- Height
- 600–600 in
Gardenia
Seldom damagedGardenia jasminoides
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 8–11
- Height
- 48–96 in
Gas Plant
Seldom damagedDictamnus albus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 24–36 in
Glossy Abelia
Seldom damagedAbelia sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9, genus range
Golden Currant
Seldom damagedRibes aureum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–120 in
Goldust Plant
Seldom damagedAucuba japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–10
- Height
- 72–120 in
Grape Hyacinth
Seldom damagedMuscari sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Green Ash
Seldom damagedFraxinus pennsylvanica
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 600–840 in
Hazelnut
Seldom damagedCorylus sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Heartleaf Bergenia
Seldom damagedBergenia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Himalayan Birch
Seldom damagedBetula jacquemontii
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 360–600 in
Honey Locust
Seldom damagedGleditsia triacanthos
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 720–960 in
Hyacinth
Seldom damagedHyacinthus sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Inkberry
Seldom damagedIlex glabra
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–11
- Height
- 60–120 in
Jacob's Ladder
Seldom damagedPolemonium caeruleum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Japanese Flowering Cherry
Seldom damagedPrunus serrulata
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Japanese Flowering Quince
Seldom damagedChaenomeles japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 24–36 in
Japanese Kerria
Seldom damagedKerria japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 36–84 in
Japanese Maple
Seldom damagedAcer palmatum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Japanese Spirea
Seldom damagedSpiraea japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 48–72 in
Judd Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum x juddii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Koreanspice Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum carlesii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 48–72 in
Kousa Dogwood
Seldom damagedCornus kousa
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 240–360 in
Lady's Mantle
Seldom damagedAlchemilla sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Lance Coreopsis
Seldom damagedCoreopsis lanceolata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 12–36 in
Large Beardtongue
Seldom damagedPenstemon grandiflorus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 48–48 in
Large Periwinkle
Seldom damagedVinca major
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 7–9
- Height
- 3–8 in