Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 3–5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Ohio · Zones 5–7
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Ohio
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. Every species here is genuinely native to Ohio and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Ohio's humid continental climate across Eastern Corn Belt & Allegheny Plateau, not a generic list. Local standouts include Prairie Blazing Star and Common Yarrow. 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
45 native species for Ohio
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
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
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 2–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
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
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 6–16 in tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 6–12 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
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–Sep
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Browse-resistant thanks to the strong-smelling foliage — a safe bet up to 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
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 Sep–Oct
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
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 4–8 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
21 more also qualify: Compass Plant, Rattlesnake Master, Stiff Goldenrod, Fragrant Sumac, Ninebark, New Jersey Tea, Purple Prairie Clover, Creeping Phlox, Spicebush, Wild Lupine, Bearberry, Sideoats Grama, Virginia Creeper, Indian Grass, Switchgrass, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Christmas Fern, Cinnamon Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Ohio
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.