Deer-resistant plants for zone 3
Zone 3 means average annual minimum temperatures of minus 40 to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Northern Minnesota, North Dakota, interior Maine and much of the Canadian border. The limiting factor is not deer, it is the winter, and the resistant plant palette narrows sharply here. Aromatic Mediterranean perennials mostly will not survive, so the work is done by natives, junipers, ornamental grasses and the tougher spireas.
247 plants · page 2 of 5
States mostly in zone 3
Wisconsin·Minnesota·Colorado·New Hampshire·Vermont·Maine·North Dakota·South Dakota·Montana·Wyoming·Idaho·Alaska
Perennial32
Pale Purple Coneflower
Seldom damagedEchinacea pallida
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 24–24 in
Penstemon
Occasionally damagedPenstemon sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Peony
Rarely damagedPaeonia lactiflora
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 24–35 in
Perennial Candytuft
Seldom damagedIberis sempervirens
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 6–12 in
Pincushion Flower
Seldom damagedScabiosa caucasica
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 18–24 in
Pink Turtlehead
Occasionally damagedChelone sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Plume Poppy
Seldom damagedMacleaya cordata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Primrose
Seldom damagedPrimula sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Purple Coneflower
Seldom damagedEchinacea purpurea
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 36–48 in
Purple Loosestrife
Occasionally damagedLythrum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Rhubarb
Seldom damagedRheum rhabarbarum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Siberian Bugloss
Rarely damagedBrunnera macrophylla
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–18 in
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
Sneezeweed
Seldom damagedHelenium autumnale
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 36–60 in
Snow-in-Summer
Seldom damagedCerastium tomentosum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 6–12 in
Soapwort
Seldom damagedSaponaria sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Solomon's Seal
Occasionally damagedPolygonatum sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Speedwell
Seldom damagedVeronica sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Strawberry
Frequently damagedFragaria sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9, genus range
Swamp Milkweed
Seldom damagedAsclepias incarnata
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–60 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
Tiger Beardtongue
Seldom damagedPenstemon mensarum
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–36 in
Trout Lily
Seldom damagedErythronium sp.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
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
White Boltonia
Seldom damagedBoltonia asteroides
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 36–60 in
White Snakeroot
Seldom damagedAgeratina altissima
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 24–60 in
Wild Bergamot
Seldom damagedMonarda fistulosa
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 60–60 in
Yarrow
Seldom damagedAchillea millefolium
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 12–36 in
Yellow Foxglove
Seldom damagedDigitalis grandiflora
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Shrub28
Anthony Waterer Spirea
Seldom damagedSpiraea x bumalda
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Arrowwood Viburnum
Rarely damagedViburnum dentatum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–8
- Height
- 60–120 in
Bayberry
Rarely damagedMyrica pensylvanica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 72–96 in
Blackhaw Viburnum
Seldom damagedViburnum prunifolium
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 144–180 in
Bog Rosemary
Seldom damagedAndromeda polifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
Buckthorn
Seldom damagedRhamnus sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7, genus range
Bush Cinquefoil
Rarely damagedPotentilla fruticosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 24–48 in
Chinese Lilac
Occasionally damagedSyringa x chinensis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
Common Lilac
Seldom damagedSyringa vulgaris
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 96–192 in
Common Witchhazel
Seldom damagedHamamelis virginiana
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 180–360 in
Coralberry
Seldom damagedSymphoricarpos x chenaultii
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
Cranberry Bush
Seldom damagedViburnum opulus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–8
- Height
- 144–192 in
Creeping Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus horizontalis
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Currant
Seldom damagedRibes sp.
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Dwarf Balsam Fir
Seldom damagedAbies balsamea 'Nana'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–840 in
Fragrant Sumac
Rarely damagedRhus aromatica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 24–72 in
Highbush Blueberry
Occasionally damagedVaccinium corymbosum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 72–144 in
Japanese Spirea
Seldom damagedSpiraea japonica
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 48–72 in
Japanese Tree Lilac
Seldom damagedSyringa reticulata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 300–360 in
Late Lilac
Occasionally damagedSyringa villosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 72–120 in
Leadplant
Seldom damagedAmorpha canescens
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–9
- Height
- 36–36 in
Moonglow Juniper
Rarely damagedJuniperus scopulorum 'Moonglow'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 360–480 in
Mountain Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus scopulorum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 360–480 in
Mugo Pine
Seldom damagedPinus mugo
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 240–300 in
Panicle Hydrangea
Occasionally damagedHydrangea paniculata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 96–300 in
Prairie Sagewort
Seldom damagedArtemisia frigida
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–10
- Height
- 6–18 in
Prince of Wales Juniper
Rarely damagedJuniperus horizontalis 'Prince of Wales'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Purple Leaf Sand Cherry
Occasionally damagedPrunus x cistena
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8