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Deer-Resistant Native Plants

Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy.

Tip: open your state below for the version of this list filtered to plants native to your region and hardy in your zone.
The plants

65 native species in this collection.

No plant is truly deer-proof when winters are hard and the herd is hungry, but deer reliably avoid aromatic foliage (mints and salvias), fuzzy or coarse leaves, and toxic or bitter sap. Lean on those traits, plant the few irresistible things close to the house, and a new bed will sail through its first season far more often than not.

Evergreen shrub

California Lilac

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus

Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 6–20 ft tall and rarely touched.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 6–20 ft
  • Blooms Mar–May
Perennial

Desert Marigold

Baileya multiradiata

Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 12–18 in tall and rarely touched.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 12–18 in
  • Blooms Mar–Oct
Shrub

Red-Flowering Currant

Ribes sanguineum

Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 5–9 ft tall.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 5–9 ft
  • Blooms Mar–Apr
Spring ephemeral

Virginia Bluebells

Mertensia virginica

Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1–2 ft tall and rarely touched.

  • Part shade
  • Average–wet
  • 1–2 ft
  • Blooms Mar–May
Shrub

Apache Plume

Fallugia paradoxa

Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 3–6 ft tall.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 3–6 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Sep
Subshrub

Autumn Sage

Salvia greggii

Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 2–3 ft tall.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry
  • 2–3 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Oct
Perennial wildflower

Foamflower

Tiarella cordifolia

Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 6–12 in tall.

  • Part shade
  • Average
  • 6–12 in
  • Blooms Apr–May
Perennial wildflower

Prairie Smoke

Geum triflorum

Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 6–16 in tall.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry
  • 6–16 in
  • Blooms Apr–May
Perennial wildflower

Western Columbine

Aquilegia formosa

Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–3 ft tall.

  • Part shade
  • Average
  • 1.5–3 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Jul
Perennial wildflower

Wild Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2.5 ft tall.

  • Part shade
  • Dry–average
  • 1–2.5 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Jun
Perennial wildflower

Wild Geranium

Geranium maculatum

Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1.5–2 ft tall.

  • Part shade
  • Average
  • 1.5–2 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Jun
Perennial wildflower

Chocolate Flower

Berlandiera lyrata

Deer tend to walk past its scented leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2 ft tall.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 1–2 ft
  • Blooms May–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Common Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1.5–3 ft tall and rarely touched.

  • Full sun
  • Dry–average
  • 1.5–3 ft
  • Blooms May–Aug
Small tree

Desert Willow

Chilopsis linearis

One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 15–25 ft
  • Blooms May–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Foxglove Beardtongue

Penstemon digitalis

Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms May–Jun
Perennial wildflower

Gregg's Mistflower

Conoclinium greggii

Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2 ft tall.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 1–2 ft
  • Blooms May–Oct
Perennial wildflower

Lanceleaf Coreopsis

Coreopsis lanceolata

Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 1.5–2 ft tall.

  • Full sun
  • Dry–average
  • 1.5–2 ft
  • Blooms May–Jul
Subshrub

Turk's Cap

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii

Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–5 ft tall.

  • Sun to shade
  • Dry–average
  • 2–5 ft
  • Blooms May–Oct
Shrub

American Beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 4–7 ft tall and rarely touched.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 4–7 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Jul
Browse by state

Deer-resistant, near you.

Native ranges differ across the country — open your state for the list that actually applies to your yard.

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Sourcing

Where to find deer-resistant plants

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.