A State-by-State Guide to Deer Resistant Plants

If there is one thing gardeners have in common, it is the need to ward off unwelcome wildlife. For many, that means deer. If the best defense is a good offense, then it makes sense to start by choosing deer-resistant plants.

Plants Deer Like to Eat

Deer love narrow-leaf evergreens, especially arborvitae and fir. Deer show a preference for hostas, daylilies, and English ivy. The heaviest garden browsing is from October through February. Many growers note that deer seem to prefer plants that have been fertilized.

Plants That Deer Do Not Like to Eat (Usually)

Bear in mind that the first rule of deer-proofing is that there are really no plants that are completely deer-proof. When preferred types of food are in short supply, deer will (and do) eat almost any kind of garden plant and shrub. Nevertheless, there are some plants that deer (usually) do not like to eat:

• Poisonous plants: Deer tend to stay away from daffodils, foxgloves, monkshood, and poppies. These are common flowers that have toxins that deer avoid.
• Fragrant plants: Deer turn up their noses at fragrant plants with strong scents. Herbs such as sages, ornamental salvias, lavenders, peonies, and bearded irises are among these “stinky” plants that deer tend to avoid. 
• Fuzzy or thorny plants: Deer do not like plants that are fuzzy, such as lamb's ear, or prickly such as spirea or roses, unless they are desperate.
• Bleeding hearts: Dicentra spectabilis may be popular with people but not deer.

A State-by-State Resource for Deer-Resistant Plants

Just about every state has a university cooperative extension service that can provide a list of plants that are generally less popular with visiting deer. Unfortunately, no one can claim a plant is totally deer resistant—it seems the deer themselves do not read these lists. Other sources also have lists of deer-resistant plants for your landscape. 

Alabama

• "Deer Resistant Plants of the South," Better Homes & Gardens

Alaska

• "Deer Resistant Plants of the Pacific Northwest," Better Homes & Gardens

Arizona

• "Deer and Rabbit Resistant Plants," University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service

Arkansas

• "Deer," University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service

California

• "Deer Resistant Plants," University of California Cooperative Extension
• "Deer-Resistant Plants for the Sierra Foothills," Cooperative Extension Nevada County (California) Master Gardeners

Colorado

• "Deer Resistant Plants for Colorado," Garden Centers of Colorado

Connecticut

• "Deer Resistant Plants," Woodstock Conservation Commission: Woodstock, Connecticut

Delaware

• "Deer Resistant Plants," Delaware Department of Natural Resources

Florida

• "Deer Resistant Plants of the South," Better Homes & Gardens

Georgia

• "Deer Resistant Plants," University of Georgia College of Agricultural

Idaho

• "Top Deer Resistant Plants of the Mountain West and High Plains," Better Homes & Gardens

Illinois

• "Gardening with Perennials," University of Illinois Extension

Indiana

• "Deer Resistant Plants for Homeowners," Purdue University

Iowa

• "Deer Resistant Landscaping," City of Iowa City

Kansas

• "Top Deer Resistant Plants of the Midwest," Better Homes & Gardens

Kentucky

• "Deer Resistant Plants of the South," Better Homes & Gardens

Louisiana

• "Deer Resistant Plants of the South," Better Homes & Gardens

Maine

• "Deer Resistant Plants," Maine.gov 

Maryland

• "Resistance of Ornamentals to Deer," Maryland Cooperative Extension

Massachusetts

• "Deer Resistant Plants," University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Michigan

• "Deer Resistant Plants for Homeowners," Michigan State University

Minnesota

• "Deer Resistant Plants," University of Minnesota Extension

Missouri

• "Deer Resistant Plants for the Landscape," Missouri Department of Conservation

Mississippi

• "Deer Resistant Plants of the South," Better Homes & Gardens

Missouri

• "Deer Gardening," Missouri Department of Conservation

Montana

• "Minimizing Deer Damage to Residential Plantings," Montana State University Extension Service

Nebraska

• "Plants Deer Will Not Eat," University of Nebraska Extension

Nevada

• "Deer Resistant Plants for Northern Nevada," University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

New Hampshire

• "Deer Resistant Native Plants," New Hampshire Extension

New Jersey

• "Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance," Rutgers Cooperative Extension

New Mexico

• "Deer Resistant Plants," High Country Gardens

New York

• "Deer Resistant Plants," Cornell University

North Carolina

• "Deer Resistant Plants," North Carolina Cooperative Extension

North Dakota

• "Top Deer Resistant Plants of the Midwest," Better Homes & Gardens

Ohio

• "Deer Resistance Rating for Landscape Plants," Gardening in Deer Country

Oklahoma

• "Top Deer Resistant Plants of the Midwest," Better Homes & Gardens

Oregon

• "Deer Resistant Plants for Central Oregon," Oregon State University Extension Service

Pennsylvania

• "Deer Resistant Plants," Penn State Cooperative Extension
• "Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance," Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Rhode Island

• "Plants Least-Preferred by Deer," Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

South Carolina

• "Deer Resistant Plants for the Grand Strand," Clemson University Extension

Texas

• "Deer in the Urban Landscape," The Texas A&M University System

Vermont

• "Deer Resistant Perennials," University of Vermont Extension System

Virginia

• "Deer "Resistant" Plant List," University of Virginia Extension

South Dakota

• "Deer Resistant Plants," Dakota Garden

Tennessee

• "Deer Resistant Plants," Plant Friendly

Texas

• "Deer in the Urban Landscape," Texas A & M Extension

Utah

• "Minimizing Browsing Damage by Deer," Utah Division of Wildlife Management

Washington

• "Deer Resistant Plants," Washington State University Extension

West Virginia

• "Resistance of Ornamentals to Deer Damage," West Virginia University Extension Service

Wisconsin

• "Deer Resistant Plants in Wisconsin," Garden Guides

Wyoming

• "Deer Resistant Plants," High Country Gardens