Dear Deer - We're Closed for Dinner

Dear Deer - We're Closed for Dinner

By Published May 01, 2005 Updated April 27, 2022

Shop for Deer Resistant Plants at Plant Delights Nursery

Our deer-resistant plant list is compiled from results around the country, but we cannot guarantee that your deer will comply... keep in mind deer are like people at a buffet, each has a different appetite. Deer will eat, or at least browse anything, if they are hungry enough. Deer browse is worse if you use chemical fertilizers and force lush new growth, so stick to organics. We recommend black deer netting as the only sure way to exclude deer from the plants in your garden. Use deer tolerant plants in your garden to save money and headaches. 

Acanthus sp. (Bear's Breech)
Aconitum sp. (Monkshood)
Acorus sp. (Sweet Flag)
Agastache sp. (Shrub Mint)
Agave sp. (Century Plant)
Ajuga sp. (Bugleweed)
Allium sp. (Ornamental Onion)
Amsonia sp. (Blue Star)
Anemonella thalictroides (Windflower)
Anisacanthus wrightii (Texas Firecracker)
Antirrhinum sp. (Snapdragon)
Aralia sp. (Spikenard)
Arisaema sp. (Cobra Lily, Jack in the Pulpit)
Artemisia sp. (Wormwood)
Arum sp. (Lords and Ladies)
Arundo donax (Reed Grass)
Asarum sp. (Wild Ginger)
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)Asparagus sp. (Asparagus Fern)
Aspidistra sp. (Cast Iron Plant)
Athyrium sp. (Lady Fern)
Bamboo - Bambusa multiplex, Borinda sp. and Fargesia sp., and others
Baptisia sp. and hybrids (Redneck Lupine)
Begonia sp. (Hardy Begonia)
Brugmansia sp. and hybrids (Angel Trumpet)
Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian Bugloss)
Buddleia sp. and cultivars (Butterfly Bush)
Calamagrostis sp. (Feather Reed Grass)
Calamintha nepeta (Lesser Calamint)
Carex sp. (Sedge)
Caryopteris sp. and hybrids (Bluebeard)
Cephalotaxus sp. (False Yew)
Cestrum sp. and hybrids (Willow leaf Jessamine)
Chamaerops humilis (Fan Palm)
Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats)
Cheilanthes sp. (Lip Fern)
Chrysogonum virginianum (Green and Gold)
Cimicifuga racemosa (Black Cohosh) 
Colocasia esculenta (Elephant Ear)
Colocasia gigantea (Elephant Ear)
Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley)
Cortaderia sp. (Pampas Grass)
Corydalis sp. (False Bleeding Heart)
Cyrtomium sp. (Holly Fern)
Dasylirion sp. (Sotol)
Dicentra sp. (Bleeding Heart)
Dryopteris sp. (Male Fern)
Epimedium sp. and hybrids (Fairy Wing)

Eucomis sp. (Pineapple Lily)
Euphorbia sp. and hybrids (Spurge)
Festuca glauca (Blue Fescue)
Foeniculum vulgaris (Fennel)
Fritillaria sp. (Fritillaria)
Galanthus
Gaura lindheimeri
Grevillea sp.
Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp Sunflower)
Helleborus sp. and hybrids (Lenten Rose)
Hippeastrum sp. (Amaryllis) Iris sp.
Juncus sp. (Rush)
Lamium sp. (Dead Nettle)
Lantana sp. and hybrids
Lavandula sp. (Lavander)Leonotis leonurus(Lion's Ear)
Lespedeza sp.
Ligularia sp.
Lychnis sp. (Ragged Robin)
Lycoris sp. (Surprise Lily)
Lysimachia nummularia  (Moneywort)
Malvaviscus sp. (Turk's Cap)
Matteuccia sp. (Ostrich Fern)
Mazus reptans sp.(Creeping Mazus)
Miscanthus sp. and hybrids (Maiden Grass)
Muhlenbergia sp. (Muhly Grass)
Myosotis sp. (Forget me not)
Narcissus (Daffodil)
Nepeta sp. and hybrids (Catnip)
Nerium oleander (Oleander)
Nicotiana glauca (Tree Tobacco)
Nolina sp. (Bear Grass)
Onoclea sp. (Sensitive Fern)
Opuntia sp. (Prickly Pear Cactus)
Origanum sp. (Oregano)
Pachysandra sp. (Alleghany Spurge)
Paeonia sp. (Peony)
Panicum sp. (Switchgrass)
Pennisetum sp. (Fountain Grass)
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
Phlomis sp. (Jerusalem Sage)
Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox)
Podophyllum sp. (Mayapple)
Polystichum sp. (Shield Fern)
Pteris sp. (Table Fern)
Pulmonaria sp. and hybrids (Lungwort)
Punica granatum (Pomegranate)
Pycnanthemum sp. (Mountain Mint)
Ranunculus sp. (Buttercup)
Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) 
Salvia greggii (Gregg's Salvia)
Sarcococca sp. (Sweetbox)
Schizachyrium sp. (Bluestem)
Scilla sp. (Squill)
Setcreasea sp. (Mexican Wandering Jew)
Stachys sp. and hybrids (Betony)
Stipa sp. / Nassella (Needle Grass)
Tanacetum vulgaris (Tansy)
Teucrium (Germander)
Thalictrum sp. (Meadow Rue)
Thelypteris sp. (Fern)
Vinca minor (Perrywinkle)
Yucca sp. (Soapwort)

Sources:

www.bennersgardens.com
www.deerfencing.com
www.critterfence.com 

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