Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Indiana · Zones 5–7
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Indiana
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. For Indiana, the right natives are shaped by Eastern Corn Belt Plains & oak savanna and a humid continental climate. Every species below, from Dense Blazing Star and Wild Columbine to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Indiana and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7. 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.
The plants
44 native species for Indiana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 1–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 2–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Deer tend to walk past aromatic foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Browse-resistant thanks to its scented leaves — a safe bet up to 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Aromatic foliage keeps the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 6–16 in tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 1.5–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 1.5–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
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
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 1.5–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 6–12 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 3–5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 30–50 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
20 more also qualify: Compass Plant, Purple Prairie Clover, Wild Ginger, Stiff Goldenrod, Wild Lupine, Creeping Phlox, Ninebark, Sideoats Grama, Fragrant Sumac, New Jersey Tea, Rattlesnake Master, Spicebush, Christmas Fern, Pennsylvania Sedge, Indian Grass, Cinnamon Fern, Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Big Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Indiana
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome 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.