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 4 of 6
Seldom Severely Damaged60
Leatherleaf Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum rhytidophyllum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 120–180 in
Lobelia
Seldom damagedLobelia erinus
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–9 in
Lupine
Seldom damagedLupinus sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Lyreleaf Greeneyes
Seldom damagedBerlandiera lyrata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 48–48 in
Maltese Cross
Seldom damagedLychnis chalcedonica
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 20–40 in
Marigold
Seldom damagedTagetes patula
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–12 in
Mat Penstemon
Seldom damagedPenstemon caespitosus
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 4–6 in
Money Plant
Seldom damagedLunaria annua
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 24–36 in
Mountain Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus scopulorum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 360–480 in
Nasturtium
Seldom damagedTropaeolum majus
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–120 in
New England Aster
Seldom damagedSymphyotrichum novae-angliae
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 36–84 in
Norway Spruce
Seldom damagedPicea abies
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
Old Man's Whiskers
Seldom damagedGeum triflorum
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 6–18 in
Oneseed Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus monosperma
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 480–480 in
Oriental Poppy
Seldom damagedPapaver orientale
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 24–36 in
Pale Purple Coneflower
Seldom damagedEchinacea pallida
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 24–24 in
Palmer's Penstemon
Seldom damagedPenstemon palmeri
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 60–60 in
Paperbark Maple
Seldom damagedAcer griseum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 240–360 in
Perennial Candytuft
Seldom damagedIberis sempervirens
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 6–12 in
Periwinkle
Seldom damagedVinca minor
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 3–6 in
Plains Blackfoot
Seldom damagedMelampodium leucanthum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–11
- Height
- 12–24 in
Ponderosa Pine
Seldom damagedPinus ponderosa
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 1800–1800 in
Primrose
Seldom damagedPrimula sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Privet
Seldom damagedLigustrum sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8, genus range
Purple Sage
Seldom damagedSalvia dorrii
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 36–36 in
Red Chokeberry
Seldom damagedAronia arbutifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 72–144 in
Red Maple
Seldom damagedAcer rubrum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–9
- Height
- 480–1440 in
Red Osier Dogwood
Seldom damagedCornus sericea
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 60–108 in
Red Twigged Dogwood
Seldom damagedCornus alba
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 96–120 in
Redvein Enkianthus
Seldom damagedEnkianthus campanulatus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 72–192 in
Rockspray Cotoneaster
Seldom damagedCotoneaster horizontalis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–7
- Height
- 24–36 in
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Seldom damagedPenstemon strictus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 36–36 in
Rocky Mountain Zinnia
Seldom damagedZinnia grandiflora
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 6–8 in
Rose of Sharon
Seldom damagedHibiscus syriacus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 96–144 in
Rubber Rabbitbrush
Seldom damagedEricameria nauseosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 12–90 in
Ruby Horsechestnut
Seldom damagedAesculus x carnea
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
Rue Anemone
Seldom damagedAnemonella thalictroides
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 4–8 in
San Jose Holly
Seldom damagedIlex x aquipernyi
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–9
Saucer Magnolia
Seldom damagedMagnolia x soulangiana
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
Scotch Pine
Seldom damagedPinus sylvestris
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 360–720 in
Sea Thrift
Seldom damagedArmeria maritima
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 6–24 in
Shadbush
Seldom damagedAmelanchier canadensis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Sidebells Penstemon
Seldom damagedPenstemon secundiflorus
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 6–18 in
Silver Buffaloberry
Seldom damagedShepherdia argentea
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 240–240 in
Skunk Cabbage
Seldom damagedSymplocarpus foetidus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 24–36 in
Smith's Buckthorn
Seldom damagedRhamnus smithii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–120 in
Smokebush
Seldom damagedCotinus coggygria
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–180 in
Snow-in-Summer
Seldom damagedCerastium tomentosum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 6–12 in
Speedwell
Seldom damagedVeronica sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Spicebush
Seldom damagedLindera benzoin
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 96–180 in
Sticky Purple Geranium
Seldom damagedGeranium viscosissimum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 36–36 in
Stocks
Seldom damagedMatthiola sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Stretchberry
Seldom damagedForestiera pubescens
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 39–180 in
Striped Maple
Seldom damagedAcer pensylvanicum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 180–420 in
Sweet Elder
Seldom damagedSambucus canadensis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 60–144 in
Sweet Mock Orange
Seldom damagedPhiladelphus coronarius
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 120–144 in
Sweet William
Seldom damagedDianthus barbatus
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–24 in
Trillium
Seldom damagedTrillium sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
Trout Lily
Seldom damagedErythronium sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Tulip Tree
Seldom damagedLiriodendron tulipifera
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 960–1440 in