Rick’s Deer Resistant Plant List
A Note About Deer Resistant Plants
The plants listed here are not guaranteed to be deer resistant. This is merely a guide of what deer generally do not eat. If they are hungry enough, they will eat just about anything, and it can vary from one side of town to the other.
Anything marked with a * indicates plants are browsed occasionally, but typically not destroyed.
The best protection against deer damage is an eight-foot-high fence.
Perennials
Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa)
Baby’s Breath (Gypsophilia paniculata)
Basket of Gold (Alyssum saxatile)*
Bee Balm (Monarda)
Bergenia (Bergenia)
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis)
Blue Star (Amsonia)
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias)
Cacti (Cacti: var genera & ssp.)
Catmint (Nepeta)
Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata)
Coreopsis (Coreopsis)*
Cranesbill, Wild Geranium (Geranium ssp.)*
Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
Daffodils (Narcissus ssp.)*
Delphinium (Delphinium ssp.)*
Dotted Gayfeather (Liatris punctata)
Dwarf Leadplant (Amorpha)
Globe Thistle (Echinops ssp.)
Euphorbia (Euphorbia ssp.)
False Forget-Me-Not (Brunnera macrophylla)
Flax (Linum ssp.)*
Forget-Me-Not (Mertensia ssp.)
Foxglove (Digitalis)
Golden Banner (Thermopsis ssp.)
Goldenrod (Solidago ssp.)
Hummingbird Plant (Zauschneria)
Hyssop (Agastache)
Iris (Iris ssp.)*
Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum)
Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-fernina)
Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla)
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys)
Larkspur (Consolida)
Lavender (Lavandula ssp.)
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)
Lenten Rose (Helleborus ssp.)
Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Lupine (Lupinus)*
Mexican Hat Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)
Monkshood (Aconitum)
Penstemon (Penstemon ssp.)*
Peony (Paeonia ssp.)
Poker Plant (Kniphofia ssp.)
Poppy, esp. Oriental (Papaver)*
Prairie Zinnia (Zinnia grandiflora)
Prickly Pear (Opuntia ssp.)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)
Rose Champion (Lychnis)
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)*
Santolina (Santolia ssp.)
Sedum (Sedum ssp.)
Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum ssp.)*
Silver Nettle (Lamium)
Sneezeweed (Helenium)
Snowdrops (Galanthus ssp.)
Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Snow-on-the-Mountain (Euphorbia marginata)
Soapwort (Saponaria ssp.)
Speedwell (Creeping veronica)
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum)
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)*
Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
Wormwood (Artemisia)
Yarrows (Achillea ssp.)
Yucca (flowers eaten) (Yucca ssp.)
Bushes & Shrubs
Buffaloberry, Silver (Sheperdia argentea)
Burning Bush (Euonymus)*
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)*
Cliff Rose (Cowania neo-mexicana)
Coralberry, Hancock (Symphoricarpos x ‘Hancock’)
Currant, Alpine (Ribes aplinum)
Currant, Golden (Ribes aureum)*
Daphne
Dogwood, Redtwig (Cornus stolonifera)*
Euonymus, Winged (Euonymus alatus)
Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium)
Grapeholly, Oregon (Mahonia aquifolium)
Lilacs (Syringa ssp.)*
Mahonia, Creeping (Mahonia repens)
Mountain Mahagony, Curl-leaf (Cercocarpus ledifolius)
Ninebark, El Diablo (Physocarpus monogynus)*
Oak, Gambel’s (Quercus gambelii)
Plum, Wild (Prunus americana)
Potentilla (Potentilla ssp.)
Pyracantha (Pyracantha ssp.)
Quince (Chaenomeles ssp.)
Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus ssp.)
Raspberry, Boulder (Rubus deliciosus)
Rose, Austrian Copper (Rosa foetida ‘bicolor’)
Rose, Persian Yellow (Rosa foetida ‘persiana’)
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)*
Sage, Big Western (Artemisia tridentata)*
Saltbush, Four-wing (Atriplex canescens)
Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
Spirea, Anthony Waterer (Spirea ‘anthony waterer’)
Spirea, Bluemist (Caryopteris incana)
Spirea, Rock (Holodiscus dumosus)
Spirea, VanHoutte (Spiraea x vanhouttei)
Sumac, Fragrant (Rhus trilobata)*
Vines & Groundcover
Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
Clematis, Golden Tiara (Clematis tangutica)
Clematis, Sweet Autumn (Clematis paniculata)
Clematis, Western White (Clematis ligusticifolia)
English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
Honeysuckle, Tatarian (Lonicera tatarica)
Iceplant (Delosperma)*
Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Pussytoes (Antennaria speciosa)
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Annuals
Ageratum
Angelonia
Begonias*
Cleome
Cosmos (Cosmos)
Lantana
Marigold (Tagetes)
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum)
Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus)
Portulaca
Salvia
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)
Tobacco Flower (Nicotiana)
Torenia
Verbena
Grasses
Blue Fescue (Festuca)
Feather Reed (Calamagrostis)
Fountain Grass (Pennisetum)
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium)
Maiden Grass (Miscanthus)
Quaking Grass (Briza)
Sedge (Carex)
Switch Grass (Panicum)
Bulbs – Fall Planting
Allium (Alluim)
Fritillaria (Fritillaria)
Grape Hyacinth (Muscari)
Hyacinth (Hyacinthus)
Daffodil (Narcissus)
Bulbs – Spring Planting
Calla Lily (Zantedschia aethiopica)
Canna Lily (Canna)
Dahlia (Dahlia)
Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata)
Gladiolus (Gladiolus)
Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits
Allium – Chives, Onions, Leeks, Garlic
Basil
Blueberry
Chamomile
Coriander (Cilantro)
Dill
Elderberry
Fennel
Feverfew
Germander
Globe Artichoke
Lemon Balm
Marjoram
Mints
Oregano
Parsley
Potatoes
Rhubarb
Rosemary
Salvia (cooking sage)
Savory
Squash Thyme
Trees
Cherry, Nanking (Prunus tomentosum)
Fir, Concolor (Abies concolor)
Fir, Douglas (Pseudotsuga taxifolia)
Hackberry, Common (Celtis occidentalis)
Hawthorn (Crateagus spp)
Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var.)
Juniper, Common (Juniperus communis)
Maple, Rocky Mountain (Acer glabrum)
Pine, Lodgepole (Pinus contorta)
Pine, Pinon (Pinus edulis)
Russian Olive (seeds eaten) (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
Spruce, Colorado (Picea pungens)