Deer-resistant plants for Wisconsin
Cold winters concentrate deer on whatever remains above the snow line. Filtered to plants hardy in USDA zones 3 to 5, which covers most of Wisconsin. Mountain and coastal areas fall outside that range, so check your own zone before ordering.
387 plants · page 3 of 7
Safest choices33
Rose Campion
Rarely damagedLychnis coronaria
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 24–36 in
Royal Fern
Rarely damagedOsmunda regalis
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 60–72 in
Rue
Rarely damagedRuta sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Russian Olive
Rarely damagedElaeagnus angustifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 144–360 in
Russian Sage
Rarely damagedSalvia yangii
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 24–48 in
Sensitive Fern
Rarely damagedOnoclea sensibilis
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–10
- Height
- 12–24 in
Siberian Bugloss
Rarely damagedBrunnera macrophylla
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–18 in
Siberian Cypress
Rarely damagedMicrobiota decussata
- Type
- Groundcover
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 12–18 in
Siberian Squill
Rarely damagedScilla siberica
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–8
Silver Mound
Rarely damagedArtemisia sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Small Globe Thistle
Rarely damagedEchinops ritro
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 36–48 in
Snapdragon
Rarely damagedAntirrhinum majus
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 6–36 in
Snow-on-the-Mountain
Rarely damagedEuphorbia marginata
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–36 in
Snowdrops
Rarely damagedGalanthus nivalis
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 4–10 in
Spider Flower
Rarely damagedCleome sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
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
Statice
Rarely damagedLimonium latifolium
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–10
- Height
- 12–18 in
Strawflower
Rarely damagedHelichrysum sp.
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
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
Switchgrass
Rarely damagedPanicum virgatum
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Height
- 36–84 in
Tarragon
Rarely damagedArtemisia dracunculus
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–36 in
Threadleaf Coreopsis
Rarely damagedCoreopsis verticillata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 30–36 in
Thyme
Rarely damagedThymus sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
Variegated Oat Grass
Rarely damagedArrhenatherum elatius
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
Variegated Purple Moor Grass
Rarely damagedMolinia caerulea 'Variegata'
- Type
- Ornamental grass
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 24–48 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 Fern
Rarely damagedDryopteris marginalis
- Type
- Fern
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 18–36 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
Usually fine27
Allegheny Serviceberry
Seldom damagedAmelanchier laevis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Alpine Forget-Me-Not
Seldom damagedMyosotis alpestris
- Type
- Biennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
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
Anthony Waterer Spirea
Seldom damagedSpiraea x bumalda
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Armstrong Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus chinensis 'Armstrongii'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 600–720 in
Asparagus
Seldom damagedAsparagus officinalis
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–9
- Height
- 36–60 in
Aster
Seldom damagedAster sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
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
Baby's Breath
Seldom damagedGypsophila sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Bachelor's Buttons
Seldom damagedCentaurea cyanus
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 12–36 in
Basil
Seldom damagedOcimum basilicum
- Type
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual, any zone
- Height
- 4–36 in
Bastardsage
Seldom damagedEriogonum wrightii
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–10
- Height
- 36–36 in
Bearberry Cotoneaster
Seldom damagedCotoneaster dammeri
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–8
- Height
- 12–12 in
Beautybush
Seldom damagedKolkwitzia amabilis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Height
- 72–120 in
Bee Balm
Seldom damagedMonarda didyma
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9
- Height
- 24–48 in
Bigroot Geranium
Seldom damagedGeranium macrorrhizum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
Black-Eyed Susan
Seldom damagedRudbeckia hirta
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 36–36 in
Blackhaw Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum prunifolium
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 144–180 in
Blanketflower
Seldom damagedGaillardia aristata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 48–48 in
Blazing Star
Seldom damagedLiatris sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Blue Sage
Seldom damagedSalvia pachyphylla
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–10
- Height
- 18–32 in
Blue Star Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus squamata 'Blue Star'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8