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 5 of 6
Seldom Severely Damaged15
Upright Prairie Coneflower
Seldom damagedRatibida columnifera
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 36–36 in
Violets
Seldom damagedViola sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Virginia Bluebells
Seldom damagedMertensia virginica
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 18–24 in
Virginia Sweetspire
Seldom damagedItea virginica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 48–96 in
Wallflower
Seldom damagedErysimum sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Wax Currant
Seldom damagedRibes cereum
- Type
- Shrub
- Height
- 72–72 in
Weigela
Seldom damagedWeigela florida
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 72–120 in
White Spruce
Seldom damagedPicea glauca
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 480–720 in
Wild Bergamot
Seldom damagedMonarda fistulosa
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 60–60 in
Willowleaf Cotoneaster
Seldom damagedCotoneaster salicifolius
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–8
- Height
- 24–36 in
Winter Jasmine
Seldom damagedJasminum nudiflorum
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–10
- Height
- 120–180 in
Winterberry Holly
Seldom damagedIlex verticillata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–180 in
Wisteria
Seldom damagedWisteria floribunda
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
Yellow Birch
Seldom damagedBetula alleghaniensis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 840–960 in
Youngstown Andorra Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus horizontalis 'Youngstown'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Occasionally Severely Damaged45
Alternate-Leaved Dogwood
Occasionally damagedCornus alternifolia
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 180–300 in
American Persimmon
Occasionally damagedDiospyros virginiana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 360–960 in
American Plum
Occasionally damagedPrunus americana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 420–420 in
Annual Geranium
Occasionally damagedPelargonium x hortorum
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–24 in
Apple
Occasionally damagedMalus sp.
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Atlantic White Cedar
Occasionally damagedChamaecyparis thyoides
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 720–960 in
Avens
Occasionally damagedGeum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Bald Cypress
Occasionally damagedTaxodium distichum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 600–840 in
Balloon Flower
Occasionally damagedPlatycodon grandiflorus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–24 in
Basswood
Occasionally damagedTilia americana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 720–960 in
Black Locust
Occasionally damagedRobinia pseudoacacia
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 600–600 in
Blanket Flower
Occasionally damagedGaillardia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10, genus range
Bloodtwig Dogwood
Occasionally damagedCornus sanguinea
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–7
- Height
- 60–180 in
Bloody Cranesbill
Occasionally damagedGeranium sanguineum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 10–20 in
Blue Holly
Occasionally damagedIlex x meserveae
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–7
Callery Pear
Occasionally damagedPyrus calleryana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 360–600 in
Carolina Hemlock
Occasionally damagedTsuga caroliniana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 6–7
- Height
- 360–840 in
Carolina Rhododendron
Occasionally damagedRhododendron carolinianum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 36–72 in
Catawba Rhododendron
Occasionally damagedRhododendron catawbiense
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 72–120 in
Chameleon Spurge
Occasionally damagedEuphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon'
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
Chestnut Oak
Occasionally damagedQuercus prinus
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 720–960 in
Chinese Chestnut
Occasionally damagedCastanea mollissima
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 480–720 in
Clematis
Occasionally damagedClematis sp.
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Climbing Hydrangea
Occasionally damagedHydrangea anomala petiolaris
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Comfrey
Occasionally damagedSymphytum officinale
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 12–36 in
Common Pear
Occasionally damagedPyrus communis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 480–600 in
Cornelian Cherry
Occasionally damagedCornus mas
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Cosmos
Occasionally damagedCosmos sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
Crabapple
Occasionally damagedMalus sp.
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8, genus range
- Height
- 177–299 in
Daylily
Occasionally damagedHemerocallis spp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
- Height
- 18–35 in
Deciduous Azalea
Occasionally damagedRhododendron sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8, genus range
Eastern Redbud
Occasionally damagedCercis canadensis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 240–360 in
English Daisy
Occasionally damagedBellis perennis
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 3–6 in
Fleabane
Occasionally damagedErigeron sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9, genus range
Flowering Dogwood
Occasionally damagedCornus florida
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 180–300 in
Fragrant Winterhazel
Occasionally damagedCorylopsis glabrescens
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 96–180 in
Fraser Fir
Occasionally damagedAbies fraseri
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Height
- 360–660 in
Garden Balsam
Occasionally damagedImpatiens balsamina
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–30 in
Garden Rose
Occasionally damagedRosa spp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
- Height
- 24–71 in
Globeflower
Occasionally damagedTrollius sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7, genus range
Goat's Beard
Occasionally damagedAruncus sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7, genus range
Goldflame Honeysuckle
Occasionally damagedLonicera x heckrottii
- Type
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
Gooseneck Loosestrife
Occasionally damagedLysimachia clethroides
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 24–36 in
Highbush Blueberry
Occasionally damagedVaccinium corymbosum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 72–144 in
Hollyhock
Occasionally damagedAlcea sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range