Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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- Rhode Island
- Deer-resistant
Rhode Island · Zones 6–7
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Rhode Island
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. Rhode Island sits in a landscape of Narragansett coastal lowland, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its cool, humid, maritime character. The list below — led by Wild Geranium and Golden Alexanders — is filtered to species genuinely native to Rhode Island and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 6–7. 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
36 native species for Rhode Island
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–7 · see this collection in other states.
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 12–18 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
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
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
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 May–Jun
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
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 1.5–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–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
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 6–12 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of aromatic foliage.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Aromatic foliage keeps the deer off, 2–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Its scented leaves keep the deer off, 6–12 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Wild Lupine
Lupinus perennis
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 2–6 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 30–50 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
12 more also qualify: Wild Ginger, Creeping Phlox, Ninebark, Bearberry, Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, Cinnamon Fern, Christmas Fern, Big Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Prairie Dropseed, Switchgrass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Rhode Island
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.