This is a list of the best deer resistant evergreen shrubs in ascending order by size. These bushes were chosen for year-round beauty, versatility, ease of care, and, of course, deer resistance.
Evergreen Deer Resistant Shrubs
Growing Zones: 4 to 9
Mature Height: 4-6 inches
Mature Width: 5-6 feet
The Blue Rug Juniper is a gorgeous creeping groundcover. Perfect for those steep hills you’ve had such a hard time growing anything on, this juniper is great for preventing soil erosion. The Blue Rug is disease resistant and low maintenance.
Growing Zones: 5 to 8
Mature Height: 1-2 feet
Mature Width: 1-2 feet
The Dwarf English is a superb boxwood. It is highly resistant to the dreaded Boxwood Leaf Miner and fits just about anywhere in the landscape. Let it grow naturally or prune to your desired shape. These deer resistant evergreen shrubs are excellent for borders, low hedges, and containers.
Growing Zones: 4 to 8
Mature Height: 2-3 feet
Mature Width: 2-3 feet
The Blue Star Juniper is a hardy, dwarf variety that is perfect for adding color and texture to small spaces. Resistant to disease and drought tolerant, this variety is a great pick!
Growing Zones: 4 to 9
Mature Height: 4-6 inches
Mature Width: 5-6 feet
The soft blue color and whimsical shape of the Grey Owl Juniper make it a real treasure in any landscape. This juniper looks great in a flowing, curved hedge or staggered throughout a bed. This hardy evergreen shrub is pest and disease resistant.
Growing Zones: 5 to 8
Mature Height: 4-5 feet
Mature Width: 4-5 feet
With contrasting red and green foliage and clusters of bell-shaped white flowers, these deer resistant evergreen shrubs really stand out in the landscape. The Mountain Fire Pieris is stunning, cold hardy, easy to grow, and shade tolerant!
Growing Zones: 6b to 10
Mature Height: 6-8 feet
Mature Width: 3-4 feet
This Nandina offers great foliage color, petite flowers, and red berries. These deer resistant evergreen shrubs are low maintenance, drought and heat tolerant, and pest and disease resistant.
Growing Zones: 7 to 10
Mature Height: 10 feet
Mature Width: 6 feet
Wavy Leaf Ligustrums are very fast growing evergreen shrubs. They can double in size every year. This hardy shrub tolerates heavy pruning if you want to keep it at a certain height.
Growing Zones: 7 to 10
Mature Height: 6-8 feet
Mature Width: 5-6 feet
This evergreen bush stands out with a lovely lemon and lime variegation! New growth emerges yellow and as the leaves age the color gradually deepens to green. The leaves are thick, shiny, and smooth, not prickly like those of a holly. This flowering evergreen shrub is dense making it great for a privacy hedge.
Growing Zones: 6 to 9
Mature Height: 6-8 feet
Mature Width: 6-10 feet
The Japanese Plum Yew has lush evergreen foliage that looks like miniature palm fronds. This low maintenance shrub is drought, heat, salt, sun, and shade tolerant.
Growing Zones: 3 to 7
Mature Height: 8-10 feet
Mature Width: 10-15 feet
These deer resistant evergreen shrubs have dense foliage that is great for privacy. The Mugo Pine is a tough shrub that is cold hardy and salt and pollution tolerant.
Growing Zones: 7 to 10
Mature Height: 15-20 feet
Mature Width: 6-10 feet
Wax Myrtles are very fast growing shrub-trees that give you privacy within 2 years. These evergreen shrubs tolerate heavy pruning so you can sculpt them to just the right height and shape to suit your hedge needs. Wax Myrtles are a tough southern staple.
Growing Zones: 6 to 9
Mature Height: 15-20 feet
Mature Width: 12-15 feet
The low maintenance Oakland Holly has emerald green leaves that resemble oak leaves. These deer resistant evergreen shrubs are similar in size and shape to American Hollies, but are a less prickly variety.