Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
The strong-smelling foliage keeps the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Michigan · Zones 4–6
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Michigan
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. Michigan sits in a landscape of Great Lakes forest & dune, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid continental, lake-moderated character. The list below — led by Wild Bergamot and Butterfly Weed — is filtered to species genuinely native to Michigan and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 4–6. 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 Michigan
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–6 · see this collection in other states.
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 1.5–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 6–12 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 6–16 in tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Deer tend to walk past its scented leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 3–5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Aromatic foliage keeps the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 3–5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 6–12 in tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1.5–2 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 1–2 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Wild Lupine
Lupinus perennis
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1–2 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 2–3.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
20 more also qualify: Spicebush, Bearberry, Ninebark, Creeping Phlox, Sideoats Grama, Wild Ginger, Purple Prairie Clover, Stiff Goldenrod, Rattlesnake Master, Fragrant Sumac, Compass Plant, Virginia Creeper, Christmas Fern, Cinnamon Fern, Pennsylvania Sedge, Prairie Dropseed, Indian Grass, Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Michigan
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.