If deer treat your garden like their personal buffet, I’ve been there—and it’s frustrating. After losing too many plants, I started testing out ground covers that actually hold their own.
Some of them surprised me with how tough (and gorgeous) they turned out to be. These picks don’t just look good—they help keep those sneaky snackers away.
Let’s find a few that work for your yard and give those deer a reason to wander elsewhere.
1. Lavender
Nothing says garden elegance quite like the purple haze of lavender stretching across your landscape. Deer absolutely hate its strong fragrance, while humans and pollinators can’t get enough of it.
This Mediterranean beauty thrives in sunny, well-drained spots and requires minimal water once established. Hardy in zones 5-9, lavender stays compact at 1-2 feet tall while spreading to create a gorgeous, deer-repelling carpet.
2. Lamb’s Ear
Soft to touch but tough on deer! The velvety, silver-gray leaves of Lamb’s Ear create a plush carpet that deer consistently avoid due to the fuzzy texture that feels unpleasant in their mouths.
Growing just 6-8 inches tall, this drought-tolerant perennial spreads readily to fill spaces between stepping stones or along borders. In summer, tall purple flower spikes emerge, adding vertical interest to this otherwise low-profile beauty.
3. Creeping Thyme
Imagine walking across a carpet that releases delightful fragrance with each step! Creeping thyme creates exactly that experience while forming a tight, weed-suppressing mat that deer avoid completely.
This aromatic ground cover stays a mere 2-3 inches tall but spreads up to 24 inches wide. Small pink, purple, or white flowers appear in summer, attracting bees while the strong scent continues to deter hungry deer year-round.
4. Sweet Woodruff
For those challenging shady spots where deer love to hide and munch, Sweet Woodruff offers the perfect solution. Its whorled, star-shaped leaves form an attractive carpet while releasing a pleasant hay-like scent when crushed.
Thriving in moist, woodland conditions, this European native grows 8-12 inches tall and produces delicate white flowers in spring. The fragrant foliage deters deer while solving the perennial problem of what to plant in those difficult shady spots.
5. Ajuga
Also known as Bugleweed, this fast-spreading ground cover creates a dense carpet of glossy, often colorful foliage that deer consistently pass by. The textured leaves come in shades of deep green, bronze, chocolate, or variegated patterns.
Standing just 6 inches tall, Ajuga erupts with brilliant blue flower spikes in spring that rise above the foliage. It thrives in partial shade to full sun and quickly fills bare spaces while suppressing weeds and resisting those pesky deer.
6. Sedum
Drought-tough and deer-resistant, sedums offer an incredible variety of colors, textures, and growth habits that transform dull spaces into living carpets. Their fleshy, succulent leaves store water, making them remarkably self-sufficient once established.
Low-growing varieties like ‘Dragon’s Blood’ and ‘Angelina’ spread to form tight mats just 3-6 inches tall. The bitter taste keeps deer at bay while their ability to thrive in poor soil makes them perfect for rocky areas and slopes.
7. Artemisia
Like moonlight captured in plant form, the silvery foliage of Artemisia brings ethereal beauty to gardens while keeping deer firmly away. The intensely aromatic leaves contain compounds that deer find utterly repulsive.
Low-growing varieties like ‘Silver Mound’ form neat, rounded cushions 8-12 inches tall and wide. These drought-tolerant perennials thrive in full sun and poor soil, creating striking contrast against darker green plants while providing reliable deer protection.
8. Epimedium
Garden experts often call this the perfect shade ground cover, and deer completely ignore it! Also known as Barrenwort or Bishop’s Hat, Epimedium features heart-shaped leaves that emerge with bronze or red tints in spring.
Delicate, dancing flowers in yellow, pink, purple, or white appear on wiry stems in early spring. Growing 8-12 inches tall, this tough perennial spreads slowly to form elegant patches under trees and shrubs where deer typically browse.
9. Pachysandra
When you need serious shade coverage that deer won’t touch, Pachysandra delivers with remarkable reliability. Its glossy, evergreen leaves create a dense, weed-suppressing carpet that maintains year-round structure in the garden.
Growing 8-12 inches tall, this classic shade ground cover spreads by underground runners to fill difficult areas beneath trees. Small white flower spikes appear in spring, adding subtle interest to this workhorse plant that deer consistently avoid.
10. Creeping Juniper
Rugged and resilient, creeping junipers offer year-round color and texture while rebuffing deer with their prickly texture and aromatic oils. These evergreen spreaders come in various shades from silvery-blue to deep green.
Most varieties grow just 6-18 inches tall while spreading 6-8 feet wide, making them perfect for slopes and large areas. Their dense growth habit prevents erosion and weeds, while their tough nature handles poor soil, drought, and neglect with admirable fortitude.
11. Dianthus
Bringing old-world charm to modern gardens, Dianthus creates low mounds of blue-green foliage topped with delightfully fragrant flowers that humans adore but deer avoid. Their spicy clove scent is particularly off-putting to deer.
Varieties like ‘Firewitch’ form tight cushions 6-8 inches tall that spread slowly into neat mats. The pink, red, or white blooms appear in spring and often rebloom in fall, attracting butterflies while the deer keep their distance.
12. Vinca Minor
Sometimes called Periwinkle, this classic ground cover creates a polished, evergreen carpet that transforms bare soil into a sea of glossy leaves and periwinkle-blue flowers. Its slightly bitter taste naturally deters deer from browsing.
Growing just 4-6 inches tall, Vinca Minor spreads vigorously to cover large areas, even in challenging conditions like dry shade. The pretty five-petaled flowers appear abundantly in spring with sporadic blooming throughout the growing season.
13. Ornamental Oregano
Move over, culinary oregano – these ornamental cousins deserve the spotlight in deer-resistant gardens! With cascading habits and showy flowers, varieties like ‘Hopley’s Purple’ and ‘Kent Beauty’ create stunning ground covers that deer consistently avoid.
The strongly aromatic foliage repels browsers while attracting beneficial insects. Growing 2-4 inches tall but spreading 12-24 inches wide, these sun-lovers produce masses of pink, purple, or white flowers from summer through fall.
14. Liriope
Grass-like but so much more interesting, Liriope creates neat, fountain-like tufts that deer rarely damage. Also called Lilyturf, this Asian native thrives in conditions from full sun to deep shade.
Growing 12-18 inches tall and wide, Liriope produces spikes of purple or white flowers in late summer that resemble grape hyacinths. The arching, strappy leaves may be solid green or variegated, creating year-round structure while naturally deterring deer.
15. Hellebores
When winter’s grip finally loosens, Hellebores are among the first to celebrate with nodding, rose-like blooms in shades from white to deep purple. Deer avoid them completely due to toxic compounds in their leaves and stems.
Growing 12-18 inches tall and wide, these shade-lovers create attractive mounds of leathery, evergreen foliage. The long-lasting flowers appear in late winter through spring, bringing color to the garden when it’s needed most.
16. Heuchera
Garden designers treasure Heuchera (Coral Bells) for its remarkable foliage colors ranging from lime green to deep purple, often with silver veining or dramatic ruffling. Deer typically leave these stunning plants alone.
Growing in neat mounds 8-12 inches tall, Heucheras send up delicate flower stalks in summer that attract hummingbirds. Most varieties perform best in partial shade, creating vibrant ground cover beneath trees and shrubs where deer pressure is often highest.
17. Nepeta
Clouds of lavender-blue flowers hover above aromatic gray-green foliage, creating a dreamy effect that gardeners love and deer absolutely hate. Better known as Catmint, Nepeta’s strong fragrance makes it a natural deer deterrent.
Low-growing varieties like ‘Walker’s Low’ reach just 12-15 inches tall but spread 2-3 feet wide. The long bloom period from late spring through summer makes this drought-tolerant perennial especially valuable for continuous color and deer protection.
18. Geranium
Not to be confused with annual bedding plants, these hardy geraniums (cranesbills) form beautiful spreading mounds that deer rarely damage. Their slightly fuzzy leaves and aromatic nature make them naturally deer-resistant.
Varieties like ‘Rozanne’ bloom for months with violet-blue flowers, while others offer pink, purple, or white blooms. Growing 8-24 inches tall depending on variety, these adaptable perennials thrive in sun or partial shade, creating colorful, deer-proof ground covers.