Plant List
The following plants are typically deer proof – but remember, there are no absolutes when it comes to deer. This list includes annuals, perennials, bulbs and flowering shrubs. I’ve also included a list of deer proof ferns, grasses and groundcovers.
Annuals
| Common Name | Latin Name |
|---|---|
| Ageratum | Ageratum houstonianum |
| Angel’s Trumpet | Brugmansia sp. (Datura) |
| Anise | Pimpinalla anisum |
| Annual Vinca | Catharanthus rosea |
| Dusty Miller | Centaurea cineraria |
| False Camomile | Matricaria sp. |
| Flowering Tobacco | Nicotiana sp. |
| Forget-Me-Not | Myosotis sylvatica |
| Heliotrope (questionable) | Heliotropium arborescens |
| Larkspur | Consolida ambigua |
| Poppy | Papaver sp. |
| Pot Marigold | Calendula sp. |
| Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis |
| Snapdragon (questionable) | Antirrhinum majus |
| Snow-on-the-Mountain | Euphorbia marginata |
| Spider Flower | Cleome sp. |
| Strawflower | Helichrysum |
| Sweet Alyssum (questionable) | Lobularia maritima |
Perennials
| Common Name | Latin Name |
|---|---|
| Anise Hyssop | Agastache sp. |
| Basket of Gold | Aurinia saxatilis |
| Bigleaf Goldenray | Ligularia dentata |
| Bleeding Heart | Dicentra spectabilis |
| Butter & Eggs | Linaria vulgaris |
| Buttercup | Ranunculus sp. |
| Cactus | Cactaceae sp. |
| Catmint | Nepeta sp. |
| Common Tansy | Tanacetum vulgare |
| Corydalis | Corydalis sp. |
| Dame’s Rocket | Hesperis matronalis |
| European Ginger | Asarum europaeum |
| False Indigo | Baptisia australis |
| Forget-Me-Not | Myosotis sp. |
| Fringed Bleeding Heart | Dicentra eximia |
| Garden Sage | Salvia officinalis |
| Germander | Teucrium Chamaedrys |
| Greek Jerusalem Sage | Phlomis sp. |
| Horehound | Marrubium vulgare |
| Horseradish | Armoracia rusticana |
| Hyssop | Hyssopus officinalis |
| Iris | Iris sp. (may eat buds) |
| Jack-in-the-pulpit | Arisaema triphylum |
| Lamb’s Ear | Stachys byzantina |
| Lavendar | Lavandula sp. |
| Lavender-Cotton | Santolina chamaecyparissus |
| Lemon Balm | Melissa officinalis |
| Lenten or Christmas Rose | Helleborus sp. |
| Lungwort | Pulmonaria sp. |
| Marjoram | Majorana |
| May Apple | Podophyllum |
| Meadow Rue | Thalictrum sp. |
| Mint | Mentha sp. |
| Monkshood (questionable) | Aconitum sp. |
| Oregano | Oreganum sp. |
| Ornamental Onion | Allium sp. |
| Peony (questionable) | Paeonia sp. (may eat buds) |
| Potentilla, Cinquefoil | Potentilla sp. |
| Purple Rock-Cress | Aubretia deltoidea |
| Rock-Cress | Arabis caucasica |
| Rocket Ligularia | Ligularia ‘The Rocket’ |
| Rodgers Flower | Rodgersia sp. |
| Rose Campion | Lychnis coronaria |
| Rue | Ruta sp. |
| Russian Sage | Perovskio atriplicifolia |
| Siberian Bugloss | Bruneria macrophylla (Brunnera) |
| Silver Mound | Artemisia sp. |
| Small Globe Thistle | Echinops ritro |
| Spurge | Euphorbia sp. (except ‘Chameleon’) |
| Statice | Limonium latifolium |
| Tarragon | Artemisia dracunculus |
| Threadleaf Coreopsis | Coreopsis verticillata |
| Thyme | Thymus sp. |
| Wild Ginger | Asarum canadense |
| Yucca | Yucca filimentosa |
| Foxglove (technically, a biennial) | Digitalis purpurea |
Bulbs
| Common Name | Latin Name |
|---|---|
| Autumn Crocus | Colchicum sp. |
| Bluebell (questionable) | Endymion sp. |
| Crown Imperial, Fritilia | Fritilaria imperialis |
| Daffodil | Narcissus sp. |
| Ornamental Onion | Allium sp. |
| Siberian Squill | Scilla siberica |
| Snowdrops | Galanthus nivalis |
| Winter Aconite | Eranthus hyemalis |
Ferns
| Common Name | Latin Name |
|---|---|
| Christmas Fern | Polystichum arcostichoides |
| Cinnamon Fern | Osmunda cinnamomea |
| Hayscented Fern | Dennstaedtia punctilobula |
| Holly Fern | Cyrtomium falcatum |
| Japanese Painted Fern | Athyrium goeringianum (nipponicum) |
| New York Fern | Thelyptens noveboracensis |
| Ostrich Fern | Matteuccia struthiopteris |
| Royal Fern | Osmunda regalis |
| Sensitive Fern | Onoclea sensibilis |
| Wood Fern | Dryopteris marginalis |
Ground Covers
| Allegheny Spurge | Pachysandra procumbens |
| Barrenwort | Epimediurn sp. |
| Bearberry | Arctostaphylos uva-ursi |
| Bishop’s Weed (very invasive) | Aegopodium podagaria |
| Bugleweed | Ajuga reptans |
| Lily of the Valley | Convallaria majalis |
| Pachysandra | Pachysandra terminalis |
| Spotted Deadnettle | Lamium sp. |
| Sweet Woodruff | Galium odoratum (Asperula odorata) |
Shrubs
| Common Name | Latin Name |
|---|---|
| Arrowwood Viburnum | Viburnum dentatum |
| Barberry | Berberis sp. |
| Bayberry | Myrica pensylvanica |
| Blue Mist Shrub | Caryopteris clandonensis |
| Broom | Cytisus sp. |
| Bush Cinquefoil | Potentilla fruticosa |
| Butterfly Bush (questionable) | Buddleia sp. |
| Common Boxwood | Buxus sempervirens |
| Daphne | Daphne sp. |
| Devil’s Walking Stick | Aralia spinosa |
| Drooping Leucothoe (questionable) | Leucothoe fontanesiana |
| Fragrant Sumac | Rhus aromatica |
| Heath | Erica sp. |
| Heather (questionable) | Calliuna sp. |
| Japanese Pieris, Andromeda | Pieris japonica |
| Japanese Plum Yew | Cephalotaxus harringtonia |
| Japanese Skimmia | Skimmia japonica |
| John T. Morris Holly | Ilex x ‘John T. Morris’ |
| Leatherleaf Mahonia (questionable) | Mahonia bealei |
| Lydia Morris Holly | Ilex x ‘Lydia Morris’ |
| Moonglow Juniper | Juniperus scopulorum ‘Moonglow’ |
| Mountain Pieris | Pieris floribunda |
| Oregon Grape Holly (questionable) | Mahonia aquifolium |
| Prince of Wales Juniper | Juniperus horizontalis ‘Prince of Wales’ |
| Red Elderberry | Sambucus racemosa |
| Russian Cypress | Microbiota decussata |
| Russian Olive | Elaeagnus angustifolia |
| Sweet Box | Sarcoccoca hookeriana |
Ornamental Grasses
| Common Name | Latin Name |
|---|---|
| Big Bluestem | Andropogon sp. |
| Blue Fescue | Festuca glauca |
| Blue Oat Grass | Helictotrichon sempervirens |
| Clump Bamboo | Fargesia sp. |
| Feather Reed Grass | Calamagrostis sp. |
| Fountain Grass | Pennisetum alopecuroides |
| Giant Japanese Silver Grass | Miscanthus floridulis |
| Giant Reed | Arundo donax |
| Golden Bamboo | Phyllostachys aurea |
| Hakonechloa | Hakonechloa macra |
| Hard Rush | Juncus Effusus |
| Indian Grass | Sorghastrum nutans |
| Japanese Blood Grass | Imperata cylindrica |
| Japanese Sedge | Carex sp. |
| Japanese Silver Grass | Miscanthus sinensis |
| Japanese Sweet Flag | Acorus sp. |
| Large Blue June Grass | Koeleria glauca |
| Little Bluestem | Schizachyrium scoparium |
| Lyme Grass | Leymus arenarius glaucous |
| Northern Sea Oats | Chasmanthium latifolium |
| Oriental Fountain Grass | Pennisetum orientale |
| Pampus Grass | Cortaderia selloana |
| Purple Moor Grass | Molinia caerulea |
| Ravenna Grass | Erianthus ravennae |
| Switch Grass | Panicum virgatum |
| Variegated Purple Moor Grass | Molinia caerulea ‘Variegata’ |
| Varigated Oat Grass | Arrhenatherum elatius |
| Weeping Love Grass | Eragrostus curvula |
Vines
None (unfortunately)
Trees
| American Holly (questionable) | Ilex opaca |
| Bottlebrush Buckeye | Aesculus parviflora |
| Dwarf Alberta Spruce | Picea glauca ‘Conica’ |
| Japanese Black Pine | Pinus thunbergiana |
| Katsura Tree (questionable) | Cercidiphyllum japonicum |
| Mimosa | Albizia julibrissin |
| Paper Birch | Betula papyrifera |
| Pawpaw | Asimina triloba |
| Pitch Pine | Pinus rigida |
| Red Pine | Pinus resinosa |
| River Birch | Betula nigra |
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Holly??? The deer strip my holly to the ground every winter; even those used as foundation plantings very close to the house. They love holly!
I have had the same experience with holly. Does the variety make a difference?
Hi Peter, in my experience the thing that makes a difference with holly is the tenderness of the leaf. In other words, new growth will tend to get eaten.
On Bowen Island, there are some holly bushes that are easily 10 feet tall, growing wild and right out along known deer paths. I don’t know the exact kind, but the leaves are dark and glossy, and the berries are a medium red — very much the kind you associate with Christmas. Given that Bowen has deer like other places have rats, with no natural predators, I would say that there’s at least one type of holly that is pretty much deer-proof.
I’ve had good luck with St. John’s Wort. As for Monkshood – they wait for the bloom and then (carefully, I assume) eat the blue blossoms!
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