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 3 of 5
States mostly in zone 3
Wisconsin·Minnesota·Colorado·New Hampshire·Vermont·Maine·North Dakota·South Dakota·Montana·Wyoming·Idaho·Alaska
Shrub14
Red Chokeberry
Seldom damagedAronia arbutifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 72–144 in
Red Elderberry
Rarely damagedSambucus racemosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
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
Rugosa Rose
Occasionally damagedRosa rugosa
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 48–72 in
Russian Olive
Rarely damagedElaeagnus angustifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 144–360 in
Savin Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus sabina
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
Sea Buckthorn
Seldom damagedHippophae rhamnoides
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
Shrubby St. John's Wort
Seldom damagedHypericum prolificum
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 12–60 in
Silver Buffaloberry
Seldom damagedShepherdia argentea
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 240–240 in
Smooth Hydrangea
Occasionally damagedHydrangea arborescens
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–60 in
Snowberry
Seldom damagedSymphoricarpos albus
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 36–72 in
Winterberry Holly
Seldom damagedIlex verticillata
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 36–180 in
Youngstown Andorra Juniper
Seldom damagedJuniperus horizontalis 'Youngstown'
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 6–18 in
Tree38
Alternate-Leaved Dogwood
Occasionally damagedCornus alternifolia
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 180–300 in
American Arborvitae
Frequently damagedThuja occidentalis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
American Plum
Occasionally damagedPrunus americana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 420–420 in
Atlantic White Cedar
Occasionally damagedChamaecyparis thyoides
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 720–960 in
Balsam Fir
Occasionally damagedAbies balsamea
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–840 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
Chokecherry
Seldom damagedPrunus virginiana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 360–360 in
Colorado Blue Spruce
Seldom damagedPicea pungens
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 360–720 in
Common Hackberry
Seldom damagedCeltis occidentalis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 1200–1200 in
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Rarely damagedPicea glauca 'Conica'
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 480–720 in
Eastern Hemlock
Occasionally damagedTsuga canadensis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–840 in
Eastern Red Cedar
Seldom damagedJuniperus virginiana
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–9
- Height
- 360–480 in
Eastern White Pine
Seldom damagedPinus strobus
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 600–960 in
European Larch
Occasionally damagedLarix decidua
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 720–1200 in
European Mountain Ash
Frequently damagedSorbus aucuparia
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 240–480 in
European White Birch
Seldom damagedBetula pendula
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 360–600 in
Green Ash
Seldom damagedFraxinus pennsylvanica
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 600–840 in
Greenspire Littleleaf Linden
Occasionally damagedTilia cordata 'Greenspire'
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 600–720 in
Honey Locust
Seldom damagedGleditsia triacanthos
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 720–960 in
Japanese Red Pine
Seldom damagedPinus densiflora
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
Norway Maple
Occasionally damagedAcer platanoides
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 480–600 in
Norway Spruce
Seldom damagedPicea abies
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 480–720 in
Paper Birch
Rarely damagedBetula papyrifera
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 600–840 in
Ponderosa Pine
Seldom damagedPinus ponderosa
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 1800–1800 in
Red Maple
Seldom damagedAcer rubrum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–9
- Height
- 480–1440 in
Red Pine
Rarely damagedPinus resinosa
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
Scotch Pine
Seldom damagedPinus sylvestris
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–7
- Height
- 360–720 in
Shadbush
Seldom damagedAmelanchier canadensis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Height
- 180–300 in
Silver Maple
Occasionally damagedAcer saccharinum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 600–960 in
Staghorn Sumac
Occasionally damagedRhus typhina
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 96–300 in
Striped Maple
Seldom damagedAcer pensylvanicum
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 180–420 in
Sweet Cherry
Occasionally damagedPrunus avium
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
White Fir
Occasionally damagedAbies concolor
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 360–840 in
White Fringe Tree
Occasionally damagedChionanthus virginicus
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 144–360 in
White Oak
Occasionally damagedQuercus alba
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 600–1620 in
White Spruce
Seldom damagedPicea glauca
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–6
- Height
- 480–720 in
Yellow Birch
Seldom damagedBetula alleghaniensis
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 840–960 in
Bulb7
Crocus
Seldom damagedCrocus sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
Daffodil
Rarely damagedNarcissus spp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
- Height
- 8–18 in
Siberian Squill
Rarely damagedScilla siberica
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 2–8
Snowdrops
Rarely damagedGalanthus nivalis
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Height
- 4–10 in
Tulip
Frequently damagedTulipa spp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
- Height
- 10–24 in
Winter Aconite
Rarely damagedEranthis hyemalis
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–7
- Height
- 3–6 in
Wood Sorrel
Seldom damagedOxalis sp.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8, genus range
