Deer might be cute, but watching them munch through the garden like it’s a salad bar? Not so fun. I’ve had my share of chomped flowers and half-eaten veggies—until I figured out what plants they actually avoid.
Turns out, nature gave us some powerful, deer-repelling greenery. If you’re tired of playing tug-of-war with these furry freeloaders, you’re going to love this list.
These plants look great and tell deer to keep walking.
1. Lavender
The strong fragrance that makes lavender so appealing to humans actually repels deer completely. This Mediterranean herb contains oils that deer find overwhelming to their sensitive noses.
Planting lavender borders around vulnerable garden areas creates a beautiful purple barrier that deer won’t cross. As a bonus, you’ll attract beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies while enjoying the calming scent in your outdoor space.
2. Foxglove
Towering spikes of bell-shaped blooms make foxglove a garden showstopper, but deer won’t touch these toxic beauties. Every part of this biennial contains cardiac glycosides that are harmful if consumed.
Gardeners love foxglove for adding vertical interest to partly shaded areas where deer often browse. While humans should handle with caution too, foxglove’s natural deer resistance makes it perfect for woodland gardens and cottage-style landscapes.
3. Russian Sage
Drought-tolerant and virtually maintenance-free, Russian sage sports silvery foliage and lavender-blue flower spikes that deer consistently avoid. The aromatic leaves contain compounds that taste bitter to browsing animals.
Growing up to 4 feet tall, this perennial creates an impressive deer barrier when planted in groups. Russian sage thrives in hot, sunny locations and poor soil, making it perfect for challenging garden spots where other plants struggle.
4. Yarrow
Hardy yarrow produces flat-topped flower clusters in shades from white to deep red while naturally repelling deer with its strong scent. Native varieties support beneficial insects and butterflies that help keep gardens healthy.
Tough enough for poor soil and drought conditions, yarrow spreads to form deer-resistant ground cover in sunny areas. The feathery foliage adds texture to garden designs, and dried yarrow flowers make excellent additions to long-lasting bouquets.
5. Daffodils
Cheerful harbingers of spring, daffodils contain lycorine, a bitter alkaloid that makes them completely unappetizing to deer. Even hungry winter deer will leave these bulbs alone when little else is available in the landscape.
Planting daffodils around more vulnerable plants creates a protective barrier while adding bright yellow blooms to the early spring garden. Since daffodils naturalize easily, they’ll multiply year after year, increasing your deer protection without additional effort.
6. Boxwood
Formal gardens have relied on boxwood for centuries, and deer avoidance is one reason why these evergreen shrubs remain popular. The dense, leathery leaves contain alkaloids that taste terrible to browsing animals.
Boxwood’s versatility makes it perfect for creating deer-resistant hedges, borders, or topiary. Available in various sizes from dwarf varieties to specimens reaching 20 feet tall, boxwood provides year-round structure and protection for more vulnerable plants nearby.
7. Peony
Beloved for their massive blooms and sweet fragrance, peonies rarely suffer deer damage thanks to their naturally bitter foliage. These long-lived perennials can thrive for decades, providing reliable deer resistance year after year.
Spring gardens showcase peonies’ spectacular flowers in shades from pure white to deep crimson. After blooming, the glossy green leaves continue providing deer protection throughout summer and fall, turning reddish before winter dormancy.
8. Bleeding Heart
Shade gardens benefit from bleeding heart’s unique heart-shaped flowers dangling from arching stems – and deer completely ignore them. The plant contains alkaloids that make it unpalatable to browsing animals looking for an easy meal.
Bleeding heart’s fernlike foliage creates a lush backdrop for spring’s pink or white blooms in woodland settings. Though it goes dormant in summer heat, this deer-resistant perennial pairs beautifully with ferns and hostas for season-long garden interest.
9. Catmint
Gray-green aromatic foliage topped with lavender-blue flower spikes makes catmint irresistible to cats but completely unappealing to deer. The strong minty scent confuses deer’s sensitive noses, keeping them away from garden beds.
Low-maintenance catmint thrives in sunny spots, flowering for months with minimal care. Trim it back after the first flush of blooms for a repeat performance later in summer, doubling your deer protection while attracting beneficial pollinators to your garden.
10. Iris
Sword-like leaves and dramatic blooms make iris standouts in spring gardens, while their bitter rhizomes and toxic compounds keep deer at bay. Both bearded and Siberian varieties offer excellent deer resistance with different growing requirements.
Bearded iris prefers sunny, well-drained locations, producing ruffled flowers in nearly every color. Siberian iris tolerates moister conditions, featuring more delicate blooms above grass-like foliage. Both types naturalize over time, creating larger deer-resistant areas in the landscape.
11. Lamb’s Ear
Velvety silver leaves covered in soft hairs make lamb’s ear a textural garden favorite but a complete turnoff for deer. The fuzzy texture feels unpleasant in deer mouths, so they quickly learn to avoid these plants entirely.
Drought-tolerant lamb’s ear forms low-growing mats of foliage perfect for garden edges where deer often enter. Purple flower spikes rise above the silvery leaves in summer, though many gardeners remove them to focus on the distinctive foliage that looks beautiful year-round.
12. Butterfly Bush
Aptly named for attracting countless butterflies, butterfly bush also boasts natural deer resistance thanks to its aromatic foliage. Long flower panicles in purple, pink, white, or blue provide summer-long color without deer damage.
Fast-growing butterfly bush quickly reaches 5-10 feet tall, creating substantial deer barriers when planted along property edges. Choose newer sterile varieties that won’t self-seed aggressively while still providing the same deer-repelling benefits and pollinator attraction.
13. Salvia
Belonging to the mint family, salvias produce aromatic foliage that deer find offensive to their sensitive noses. Numerous varieties offer options from tiny ground covers to shrub-sized specimens with flower colors spanning the rainbow.
Drought-tolerant salvias thrive in sunny spots with poor soil, flowering for months with minimal care. Hummingbirds and butterflies flock to the tubular blooms while deer stay far away, making salvias perfect for wildlife-friendly yet deer-resistant garden designs.
14. Bee Balm
Native bee balm produces whorls of spiky flowers in red, pink, or purple that pollinators adore while deer consistently avoid. The strongly scented leaves contain aromatic oils reminiscent of oregano and mint that deter browsing animals.
Perfect for cottage gardens and naturalistic landscapes, bee balm spreads to form colorful deer-resistant patches in sunny to partly shaded areas. Plant different varieties for blooms from early summer through fall, creating continuous deer protection alongside season-long color.
15. Ornamental Grasses
Creating movement and texture in gardens, ornamental grasses naturally deter deer with their sharp-edged leaves that feel unpleasant in tender deer mouths. Varieties from tiny 12-inch mounds to towering 12-foot specimens offer options for any garden space.
Year-round interest makes ornamental grasses exceptional deer deterrents, with summer foliage, fall plumes, and winter structure. Plant varieties like feather reed grass, switchgrass, or fountain grass in groups to create effective deer barriers while adding contemporary style to landscapes.
16. Lantana
Multicolored flower clusters that change hues as they age make lantana visually stunning, while its pungent foliage keeps deer at bay. The leaves contain compounds that produce an unpleasant taste and smell that browsing animals avoid.
Heat-loving lantana blooms continuously from spring until frost without deadheading, providing months of deer protection. In warm climates, lantana grows as a woody shrub; in colder regions, it makes an excellent deer-resistant annual for containers and garden beds.
17. Wormwood
Silvery-gray feathery foliage makes wormwood (Artemisia) a striking garden accent that deer absolutely refuse to eat. The intensely bitter taste comes from thujone and other compounds that evolved specifically to prevent animal browsing.
Drought-tolerant wormwood thrives in poor soil and hot conditions where many plants struggle. Though grown primarily for its distinctive foliage, some varieties produce small yellow flowers that add additional interest to this exceptionally deer-resistant perennial.
18. Hellebore
Winter-blooming hellebores bring color to gardens when little else flowers, and deer completely avoid them due to toxic compounds in all plant parts. Nodding cup-shaped flowers in shades from white to deep purple emerge even through snow.
Evergreen foliage provides year-round deer protection in shady garden areas where deer pressure is often highest. Once established, hellebores require minimal care while deterring deer for decades, making them invaluable additions to woodland gardens and shaded landscapes.