Deer Tending to Shun These 13 Vegetation Types (No Absolute Assurance, Yet Worth Experimenting)
In deer-prone areas, maintaining a vibrant and beautiful garden can be a challenge due to deer browsing. However, by choosing deer-resistant plants, you can create a garden that is not only colourful and diverse but also supportive of pollinators while minimising deer damage. Here's a guide to some of the best deer-resistant plants categorised by type.
### Flowers and Perennials
Salvia, Sweet Alyssum, Snapdragons, Poppies, Globe Amaranth, Lantana, Cleome, and Dianthus are all excellent choices for a deer-resistant garden. These plants typically have strong scents, aromatic leaves, or bitter tastes that deer find unappealing.
### Aromatic Herbs
Mint, Thyme, French Tarragon, Lavender, Chives, and Sage are all aromatic herbs that deer tend to avoid. Their strong aromas make them unpalatable to browsing animals.
### Shrubs
Boxwood, with its strong scent, is an evergreen shrub that is versatile in shape and size and grows in zones 4-8. Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) offers long bloom periods with brightly coloured flowers, and deer dislike its finely textured foliage. Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) attracts pollinators but deer tend to shun it, while Mahonia (Berberis species) is thorny, drought-tolerant, and deer-resistant. American Beautyberry and Inkberry are native shrubs that are deer-resistant and support pollinators.
### Ornamental Grasses
Little Bluestem, Blue Oat Grass, and Fountain Grass have thin, sharp-edged leaves that deer find difficult to digest. Their low nutritional value makes them naturally unappealing to browsing animals.
### Ground Covers
Kinnikinnick and Catmint are both evergreen ground covers that have deer-resistant qualities. Catmint's mint-like fragrance keeps deer away, while Kinnikinnick offers seasonal flowers and fruits.
### Pollinator-Friendly Plants That Resist Deer
Milkweed supports monarch butterflies and is generally avoided by deer.
By incorporating a mix of these plants, you can create a deer-resistant garden that is not only colourful and diverse but also supportive of pollinators. It's essential to consider your local climate zone and specific garden conditions when selecting plants.
Catmint varieties offer improved habits, from compact mounds to larger specimens, and all share the same deer-resistant qualities and drought tolerance once established. Lavender, a drought-tolerant perennial, thrives in sunny locations with well-draining soil and has strong aromatic oils that make it naturally unappealing to deer.
Ornamental grasses, such as Little Bluestem and Blue Oat Grass, have tough, fibrous leaves that deer find difficult to digest. Peonies produce magnificent blooms and glossy foliage that deer typically avoid, and their bitter taste and distinct fragrance make these long-lived perennials naturally deer-resistant.
Daffodils contain lycorine, a toxic compound that deer instinctively avoid, and they provide reliable colour when many other plants are just emerging. Lamb's Ear prefers full sun and well-draining soil, tolerates poor soil conditions and drought once established, and requires little maintenance beyond occasional division.
Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii) produces honey-scented panicles of flowers that attract pollinators but repel deer. The slightly fuzzy leaves and aromatic qualities make this shrub unpalatable to browsing animals. Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) produces dramatic spires of tubular flowers that add vertical drama to gardens. All parts contain cardiac glycosides, compounds that are toxic when ingested, which deters deer.
Hellebores thrive in partial to full shade, making them valuable for deer-resistant woodland gardens, and they appreciate the addition of compost but require little additional fertilizer. Beyond deer resistance, lavender attracts beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies. The dried flowers can be harvested for sachets, cooking, or crafts, giving this plant multi-season appeal.
Peonies prefer full sun to light shade and rich, well-draining soil, and they dislike being disturbed, so they should be planted where they can remain undisturbed for years. Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) features unique heart-shaped blooms that dangle from arching stems. Deer typically avoid this woodland perennial due to its toxic alkaloids.
Russian Sage thrives in full sun and well-draining soil. Once established, Russian sage displays impressive drought tolerance, making it perfect for hot, dry locations.
A diverse deer-resistant garden can be cultivated by growing plants such as Salvia, Lantana, and Little Bluestem, which are deer-resistant and support pollinators. Additionally, plants like Lavender and Peonies, with their strong aromas and bitter tastes, are also unpalatable to deer.
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