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 | 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 | 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 | 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 |
{ 2 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?