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
- Home
- By state
- West Virginia
- Deer-resistant
West Virginia · Zones 5–7
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in West Virginia
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 West Virginia and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for West Virginia's cool, humid, mountainous climate across Allegheny Mountains & Ridge-and-Valley, not a generic list. Local standouts include Wild Geranium and Dense Blazing Star. 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
48 native species for West Virginia
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
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
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 coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
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
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1.5–2 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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
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
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 12–18 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
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
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 3–5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
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
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
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–5 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1.5–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
24 more also qualify: Pink Muhly Grass, Wild Bergamot, Virginia Creeper, Creeping Phlox, Ninebark, Wild Ginger, Spicebush, Bearberry, Purple Prairie Clover, Fragrant Sumac, Compass Plant, Sideoats Grama, Wild Lupine, Rattlesnake Master, Stiff Goldenrod, New Jersey Tea, Cinnamon Fern, Indian Grass, Switchgrass, Pennsylvania Sedge, Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Christmas Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in West Virginia
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.