18 Deer-Resistant Shade Plants to Have in Your Garden

Barrenwort

Epimedium species are clump-forming, drought-tolerant plants that look fantastic in any shade garden. Their bright, nodding little blooms provide a splash of color in early spring, and their foliage has striking red markings. Barrenwort makes an ideal low-maintenance, deer-resistant perennial ground cover for underneath tree canopies in your yard.

• Name: Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
• Flower Color: Red, pink, orange, yellow, purple, white
• Soil Needs: Loamy, sandy, moist but well-drained
• Mature Size: 8-12 in. tall, 12-36 in. wide
  

Bleeding Heart

These shade-loving woodland plants are fast-growing and unique to look at. The bleeding heart plant has heart-shaped flowers that droop from arching stems. The single protruding white petal on each bloom is where they get their common name. These plants thrive in evenly moist soils, promoting a several-week bloom period during the spring.

• Name: Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Flower Color: Pink, white, red
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
• Mature Size: 1–3 ft. tall, 2–3 ft. wide

Japanese Painted Fern

Most types of ferns are shade-loving and deer-resistant and one that stands out from the crowd is the Japanese painted fern. This slow-growing species features unique silvery-green arching fronds with purplish variegation midrib. It's an easy species to grow and tolerates deep shade. Just make sure you select a spot with good drainage.

• Name: Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
• Soil Needs: Moist but well-drained
• Mature Size: About 18 in. tall and wide

Lungwort

Deer aren't fans of herbaceous perennial lungwort plants. While the tubular-shaped blooms fade quickly, they appear early in the spring, adding much-needed color to your landscape. Plus, the speckled, fuzzy foliage continues to offer interest through the summer and fall.

These plants don't like to compete with trees for moisture, so they are best reserved for shady spots underneath taller perennials or along the edge of a tall wall or fence.

• Name: Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
• Flower Color: Blue, pink, white
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
• Mature: 6–12 in. tall, 12–18 in. wide

Wild Ginger

Unlike the unrelated culinary ginger (Zingiber officinale), eating wild ginger is not recommended. Despite this, the plant makes a fantastic deer-resistant addition to any shade garden. The glossy green leaves are the perfect dense, textural ground cover. Just watch out for slugs and snails, as they are attracted to this species.

• Name: Wild ginger (Asarum Canadense)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-7
• Flower Color: Red
• Soil Needs: Moist, rich
• Mature Size: 6 in. tall
  

Pig Squeak

You'd be forgiven for not giving bergenias a chance when you hear their common name. But pig squeaks are attractive deer-resistant, spring-blooming plants. Plus, their attractive foliage turns a rich brown in fall and stays through winter, providing year-round interest in your shade garden. These low-maintenance, clump-forming plants just need rich, moist soil to thrive.

• Name: Pig squeak (Bergenia cordifolia)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
• Flower Color: Pink, red, white
• Soil Needs: Moist, loamy, clay
• Mature Size: 1-2 ft. tall, 1-2 ft. wide

Siberian Bugloss

Siberian bugloss stands out for its tiny, vibrant, and long-lasting blue flowers, which appear in spring and last as long as four weeks. The blooms of this slow-growing ground cover resemble those of the also deer-resistant forget-me-not, but Siberian bugloss needs a shady, rather than sunny, spot in your yard.

• Name: Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
• Flower Color: Blue
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
  
• Mature Size: 12–18 in. tall, 18–30 in. wide
  

Rue Anemone

This delicate perennial is perfect for a shady woodland garden. If you can offer the moist, lower light conditions these slow-growing plants love, you will see an abundance of blooms during the spring that deer won't nibble on.

• Name: Rue anemone (Anemonella thalictroides)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
• Flower Color: White, pink
• Soil Needs: Well-drained
• Mature Size: 6–9 in. tall, 6–9 in. wide
  

Astilbe

Astilbes are low-maintenance, slow-growing tall perennial plants, ideal for adding to the back of borders that receive dappled shade. The soft pastel shades of the plumes of long-lasting flowers bloom through spring and summer, and the lacy foliage adds contrasting textural interest to your landscape.

• Name: Astilbes spp.
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
• Flower Color: Pink, red, purple, white
• Soil Needs: Loamy, moist
• Mature Size: 6-24 in. tall, 6-60 in. wide
  

Bog Onion

The bog onion, also known as Jack-in-the-pulpit, is a slow-growing perennial with a unique, almost tropical appearance. The cylindrical, hooded spathe wraps around a spadix covered in tiny flowers. Flowering from mid-spring, it's only in bloom for a couple of weeks, but the interesting spathe remains attractive into the summer. This plant is easy to grow in moist soils.

• Name: Bog onion (Arisaema triphyllum)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
• Flower Color: Greenish-purple
• Soil Needs: Moist, humusy
• Mature Size: 1-2 ft. tall, with a similar spread

Corydalis

Hardy corydalis plants feature spring-appearing, showy flowers that are long bloomers, lasting well into summer. There are many colors, and the delicate foliage contrasts nicely with more structural leaves in the landscape.

These plants should thrive if you provide moist, well-draining soil. While they cope with a shady environment, they are a bit more sensitive than other plants on this list, and very deep shade can result in leggy growth.

• Name: Corydalis spp.
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Flower Color: Various depending on the species
• Soil Needs: Well-drained, moist

Japanese Pachysandra

Plants don't come much tougher than the Japanese pachysandra, and this deer-resistant, shrubby ground cover will grow just about anywhere. It can handle clay soils and full shade and thrives on neglect. So much so that it can outcompete carefully cultivated native plants, and it is classed as invasive in some parts of the U.S.

• Name: Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
• Soil Needs: Loamy, clay
• Mature Size: 6 in. tall, 12 in. wide

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the valley is another hardy ground cover that flourishes in shady environments. Deer aren't drawn to graze on this gradual but persistent spreader, and the delicate, small flowers will fill your yard with a subtle, pleasing fragrance. Don't try the berries of this plant; it is toxic to people and pets.

• Name: Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
• Flower Color: White
• Soil Needs: Well-drained
• Mature Size: 6–12 in. tall, 9–12 in. wide
  

Toad Lily

If you're searching for an exotic-looking shade-lover, the toad lily could be the plant for your landscape. The light purple, speckled flowers on the tall, hairy stems appear in late summer and early fall.

Plant in a sheltered site to protect the tall, thin plants from strong winds and keep the soil evenly moist to see them thrive. This deer-resistant plant is toxic to cats, just like all members of the Liliaceae family.

• Name: Toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
• Flower Color: Purple, white
• Soil Needs: Loamy, moist but well-drained
• Mature Size: 2-3 ft. tall, 1-2 ft. wide

Foamflower

Pretty North American native foamflowers are spring-blooming plants that need very little attention to thrive in shady spots in your yard. The main thing is to keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Deer aren't likely to show interest in the mounds of foliage, and the informal blooms have a frothy texture.

• Name: Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
• Flower Color: White, pink
• Soil Needs: Loamy
• Mature Size: 1-3 ft. tall, 6-12 in. wide
  

Primrose

There are hundreds of shade-loving primrose species to choose from, and you don't have to worry about deer nibbling on the low-lying rosettes of foliage or the pretty clusters of flowers.

Some species do better in partial shade, so if you have a very shady spot, select something like full shade-loving Primula vulgaris to see it thrive. These aren't the plants for your yard if you have pets that are partial to grazing on foliage; primroses are toxic to people and pets.

• Name: Primrose (Primula spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
• Flower Color: Red, pink, orange, yellow, blue, purple, white
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
• Mature Size: 6–20 in. tall, 8–20 in. wide
  

Spiderwort

There's a reason spiderworts are such popular landscape plants. The many deer-resistant species are incredibly adaptable. They can grow in most light conditions, including full shade—although you might not get so many blooms—and are happy in most soils as long as they are evenly moist.

The blooms might only last a day, but the plants are attractive to pollinators, and new flowers appear throughout spring and summer.

• Name: Spiderwort (Tradescantia spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-12
• Flower Color: Blue, purple, pink
• Soil Needs: Moist but well-drained
• Mature Size: 1–3 ft. tall, 1–1.5 ft. wide

Lenten Rose

The lenten rose is part of the buttercup rather than the rose family, but the small flowers are no less beautiful. A slow-growing Helleborus orientalis hybrid cross, this early spring blooming plant is rarely bothered by deer. With a long flowering period of up to 10 weeks, these plants thrive in a shady, evenly moist spot.

This might not be the best choice if you have pets that are partial to a nibble on your plants as the lenten rose is toxic to people and pets.

• Name: Lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
• Flower color: White to pink to light rose-purple
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained, loamy
• Mature Size: 12 to 18 in. tall and wide