Here are flowering plants, including bothannuals and perennials, that are considered deer-resistant.
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These shade-loving woodland plants bloom in cool weather from late spring to early summer.
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
After the bloom, the plant goes dormant and the foliage disappears in the heat of summer.
There are manyvarieties of coneflowerswith new and improved colors and forms to choose from.
Gardeners in areas with cool summers have the best luck growing yellow or blue-blooming plants.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Corydalis are somewhat aggressive self-sowers when planted in favorable conditions.
Also known as tickseed, they bloom in late spring to late summer and sometimes into fall.
Deadheading spent blooms encourages more flowers throughout the summer.
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
Daffodil
On the spring bulb spectrum,daffodilsandtulipsare on opposite ends.
Deer do not care for the milky sap of daffodils, nor do squirrels orrabbits.
New exciting double forms and pinky-salmon colors make daffodils a top choice fordeer-resistant bulbs.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
In either case, lavender is not a long-lived perennial plant.
Lungwort
With their freckled foliage, lungwort is an attractive addition to any shade garden.
They are among the earliest blooming spring flowers.
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
‘Raspberry Splash’ is a common cultivar reportedly also resistant topowdery mildew.
However, it is viewed as an aggressive weed in some parts of the US.
Most poppies bloom in early summer.
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
Their tissue paper-like flowers may look delicate but they are not appealing to deer.
Many poppies also have ornamental seed pods that last for weeks afterward.
It shrugs off deer, rabbits, and drought.
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
These plants have a long bloom period, but flowering is more abundant in hot weather.
Plant these harbingers of spring along paths and open woodland areas because deer will pass them by.
If your winter aconite patch receives regular irrigation, you will enjoy an ever-enlarging naturalized collection of these blooms.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Astilbe
These clumping perennials in the Saxifragaceae family prefer a moist, shady spot.
The plantattracts butterfliesbut is resistant to nibblers like rabbits and deer.
Liatris (Blazing Star)
Liatris is a sun-loving herbaceous perennial.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
In midsummer to late fall, it features unusual tiny star-like blossoms on the end of long spikes.
It is a wildflower native to the United States, blooming from July to late fall.
The primary species is bright purple but comes in pink and white cultivars.
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
It attracts birds, bees, and butterflies, but deer seem to pass it by.
Its lance-shaped leaves have culinary uses, but deer do not favor them due to their fragrance.
Cooler day and nighttime temperatures are best to preserve its vibrant flower color.
The Spruce / Lacey Johnson
When deadheaded, May Night Salvia blooms from May throughout the entire summer.
Shasta Daisy
Shasta daisies are cheerful white-petaled flowers with yellow centers and deep green foliage.
They are loved by pollinators but are usually passed over by deer.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Once established, they are vigorous growers and spread easily.
Shasta daisies prefer rich, fertile soil but also grow in poor soil.
These plants are drought, pest-, and disease-resistant.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
If you decide to plant it, ensure to control its spread.
Butterfly Bush
Butterfly bush is a deciduous woody shrub that flowers in summer to early fall.
The impressive floral spikes or clusters come in a wide range of colors, attracting pollinators but detracting deer.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Some of these shrubs grow up to 12 feet tall, while others are more compact.
These plants are fast-growing, achieving blooms within a few months when planted from seed.
The bloom from early summer to late fall and their fragrance keeps deer and rabbits away.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
They bloom from midsummer to early fall.
Deer shun the plant’s rough leaves.
These fast-growing biennial plants grow up to five feet tall.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
They produce foliage in their first year and giant flower stalks the second year before they die.
Foxgloves are self-seeding, continuing to proliferate year after year.
Deer tend to steer clear of toxic plants.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Heliotrope
Heliotrope is a genus of flowering plants in the Boraginaceae family with stunning,fragrant flowers.
These plants are sun-lovers that turn their heads to follow the sun.
Deer don’t like the scent or the rough sandpaper-textured leaves.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
They are perennial in warmer zones but are frost-tender and grown as annuals in cooler zones.
Deadheading encourages more blooms and bushy, dense growth.
The brightly colored flat flower heads bloom all summer up through the fall.
The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy
Deadheading spent flowers encourages more blooms.
Varieties are compact or tall (up to four feet high).
The rough-textured leaves usually prevent deer from nibbling.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Deer tend to avoid common lilac, but young plants are vulnerable just after planting.
The plant survives and regrows if the root system is not damaged.
Forsythia
Forsythia is a fast-growingdeciduousflowering shrub.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Compact forsythia varieties grow a few feet tall, while larger varieties reach up to ten feet tall.
It is planted in the spring or fall, growing about one to two feet per year.
It starts flowering in late spring or early summer and continues tobloom in fall.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Some varieties grow up to 30 inches tall.
Floss flower comes in several colors but it is most valued for its periwinkle blue color.
The plant grows best in sunny locations in moist, well-draining soil.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
It tolerates periods of dryness but performs best if regularly watered.
The rough-texture foliage of floss flowers keeps deer at bay.
The clusters of colorful flowers from spring to fall attract pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Deadhead common garden verbena during the growing season to encourage new blooms and extend the blooming season.
They are grown as cool-weather annuals in other climates.
There are many varieties of different sizes, from a few inches tall to spires approaching four feet.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Snapdragon blooms prefer cooler weather in spring and fall.
Flower production slows down once the temperatures heat up.
They tend to spread aggressively through underground rhizomes and self-seeding.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
The flowers look like colorful hairy clusters that attract bees, butterflies, andhummingbirds.
This slow grower is named for resembling the cowl on a monk’s habit.
It produces racemes of azure blue, pink, yellow, or white flowers on sturdy, unbranched stems.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
It needs plenty of water to thrive.
Bearded Iris
The bearded iris is one of the most popular and easiest to grow iris.
It has sword-like leaves and flowers with spreading or drooping lobes in the spring.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
This plant usually flowers in its first year, preferring well-draining soil and a sunny spot.
Its rhizome must be partially exposed to sunlight for the plant to flower.
It is likely the flower fragrance and perhaps the sharp and thick foliage that keeps deer away.
The Spruce / Phoebe Cheong
Peony
Peonies are one of the longest-lived garden plants.
These spring-blooming stars are sometimes handed down from generation to generation of gardeners.
Their blooms are fluffy, full, ruffled, or single.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
These top-heavy flowers often need staking and shelter from winds so they don’t flop and bend.
They have a strong scent that deer don’t like.
No plant is guaranteed to be deer proof.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
Thats why deer repellants containing putrescent egg solids usually work to keep deer away.
There is no scientific evidence that coffee grounds keep deer away.
But if you want to give it a try,adding coffee grounds to your gardenhas other benefits.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Unfortunately,deer eat petuniasand they also snack on impatiens, especially young plants and new growth.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
Black Walnut Toxicity.Wisconsin Horticulture
Common Yarrow.Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
Weed of the Week: Rose of Sharon.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
Trialing Deer Repellents to Control White-Tailed Deer Damage to Soybeans.
Michigan State University Extension.
