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40 Shockingly Easy-to-Care-for Plants That’ll Keep Deer Out of Your Garden
Deer do not like these scents and textures.
As much as we love a deer sighting—especially when it’s cutely curled up in slumber under a big, shady tree—they are no friend to anyone with a garden or highly manicured landscaping. Technically, deer are omnivores, meaning they eat both meat and plants alike, but seeing as they’re not big on hunting, they eat mostly plants, so if you live in Texas, Alabama, or Mississippi (the three states with the largest deer populations), or any other area (like the Northeast), where deer are a common sighting, you may want to plant your garden with flora that repel Bambi and his friends.
So, in an effort to guide you in the right direction, we chatted with Dimitri Gatanas, owner of Urban Garden Center in New York, to get a sense of what to plant. In general, deer don’t like plants that are highly fragrant, fuzzy, or have an otherwise unpleasant texture. “The best way to keep deer from eating your plants is to create a sort of barrier around your favorable plants with a variety they may not like as much,” Gatanas explains. “For example, I have my hydrangeas planted behind a border of low boxwoods.” All good points. If you’re in the market for a garden upgrade, keep scrolling to find Gatanas-approved plants deer happen to hate.
Lamb’s Ear
If you’ve ever touched a lamb’s ear plant, you probably understand exactly how it got its name. If not, all you need to know is that these particular plants are extremely soft to the touch—kind of like velvet, but even smoother, if you can imagine it. In terms of their care, they require almost no attention, as they’re totally drought-tolerant. They do, however, need plenty of direct light.
Pampas Grass
Ideal for adding both privacy and height to your garden, pampas grass won’t get gobbled up by pesky deer this spring and summer. It looks great as it dries out and dies back when the weather gets cold—just be sure to cut the dead stalks ahead of every new growing season.
Garden Sage
Like many fragrant herbs, sage is a plant deer won’t go near. That makes it a great addition to any garden or vegetable patch. We recommend planting sage near other plants that deer love to try to deter them.
Related: The Best Indoor Herb Gardens to Try
Forget-Me-Not
Dainty and sweet, forget-me-not flowers introduce a bold hue to your flower beds. In addition to being one of the only true blue flowers, these plants are among the first to bloom each spring, giving your garden some new life after winter. Luckily, deer don’t like the taste of the foliage, so they tend to leave these alone.
Buttercups
Despite their alluring name, deer can’t stand buttercups. These are a great wildflower for natural and rewilding landscapes. Plant them in the fall for a gorgeous yellow wash come spring.
Thyme
Homegrown herbs are one of the easiest ways to upgrade your cooking, but deer are often attracted to edible plants. However, fragrant thyme is an exception. Plant it in and around your vegetable patches to deter curious critters.
Larkspur
Highly poisonous to all creatures (including humans), these flowers will keep deer far away from your beloved garden. Available in both light and dark hues ranging from sky blue to rich purple, plant larkspur in groups for an eye-catching landscape.
Meadow Rue
Tall and striking, meadow rue plants are a part of the buttercup family, so deer won’t snack on them either. These plants are great if your garden needs some height—plus, they offer a sweet, buttery yellow hue.
Monkshood
Also known as aconite or wolfsbane, monkshood is a highly toxic and poisonous plant to all humans and animals. What it lacks in friendliness, it makes up for with its vibrant purple coloring. Because it’s so harmful to animals, it should be used sparingly.
Blue Fescue
A beautiful ornamental grass, blue fescue is great for adding depth and visual interest to your ground cover. Its silvery blue fronds thrive best in full sun.
Related Story:The Best Ornamental Grasses for Your Garden
American Holly
Often associated with Christmastime, holly bushes are evergreens with striking red berries (they’re harmful for humans, so don’t eat them) all winter long. The spiky leaves deter deer, which makes them ideal for landscaping and outdoor holiday decorating.
Anise
This flowering plant produces the captivating spice star anise. Anise flowers are small and quaint with bulbous heads, and they’re great for breaking up groups of larger flowers. Because of their spicy taste, deer don’t like snacking on them.
Bleeding Heart
This adorable perennial is not a favorite of deer, so it's a great option for your shade garden. Its heart-shaped blooms appear in early to late spring.
Potentilla
This shrub has a somewhat fuzzy texture that doesn't usually appeal to deer. It comes in white-, pink-, or yellow-flowered varieties and blooms all season long.
Catmint
This sturdy perennial has silvery-green leaves with a somewhat fuzzy texture. It also has a pungent spicy-minty fragrance that makes most deer avoid it.
Boxwood
These evergreen shrubs make great foundation plantings, and they're not particularly appealing to deer. You can leave them natural or shear them into shape.
Daphne
Daphne is a beautiful evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves that bloom lovely, fragrant pink flowers from mid-winter to late spring. Its strong scent and toxic berries tend to keep deer away.
Dusty Miller
This attractive, silvery annual makes a stunning accent for containers or beds. Deer don't enjoy its velvety texture.
Japanese Forest Grass
This mounding ornamental grass looks amazing when planted in groups, and deer aren't fans of its sharp texture.
Hellebore
Hellebore, or Lenten rose, is an outstanding perennial for a part-shade garden. With waxy, evergreen foliage and exquisite blooms during late winter into early spring (around the time of Lent), this is a must-have for any garden that deer visit.
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