What are the Best Deer Resistant Plants?

Deer definitely have their favorite plants to snack on. Hostas, roses, daylilies, indian hawthorn, pittosporum, and pansies are some of their favorites. But hungry deer will feed on just about any plant, especially the flowers, buds, and young, tender growth. It can be quite frustrating when you get so-called deer resistant plants just to have them devoured. So, what ARE the best deer resistant plants?

We’ve collected our list of the best deer resistant plants using experience as well as reliable sources like the Rutger’s Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistant search. The plants with the highest deer resistance ratings are Holly, Barberry, Blue Fescue, Boxwood, Butterfly Bush (Buddleia), Catmint, Daphne, Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Colorado Blue Spruce, Ferns, Japanese Pieris, Japanese Plum Yew, Juniper, Lavender, Lyme Grass, Nandina, Pampas Grass, Rosemary, Switchgrass, and Viburnum. Here are some of our favorite deer resistant plants.

Blue Rug Juniper

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'

Growing Zones 4-9

This creeping groundcover juniper is low maintenance and beautiful. It looks lovely in rock gardens, cascading over walls, and covering bare spots in the landscape.

Brilliance Autumn Fern

Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance'

Growing Zones 5-9

This orange and yellow fern adds great texture and color. This fern can grow in shady and wet sites!

Crimson Pygmy Barberry

Berberis thunbergii var atropurpurea 'Nana'

Growing Zone 4-8

Deer do not like barberry shrubs. The Crimson Pygmy is a tidy, round dwarf barberry with fiery red foliage.

Dwarf Alberta Spruce

Picea glauca 'Conica'

Growing Zones 3-8

This nice little evergreen tree is neat in containers. Watch this dwarf spruce add curb appeal to your home.

Firepower Nandina

Nandina domestica 'Firepower'

Growing Zones 6-10

The Firepower is a dwarf nandina that adds loads of color to your landscape. This evergreen is low maintenance and drought tolerant once established.

Duke Gardens Plum Yew

Cephalotaxus harringtonii

Growing Zones 6-9

Deer like many yews, but not Japanese Plum Yews. This dwarf variety has a spreading, mounded habit and is heat and drought tolerant. It also tolerates heavy shade!

Needlepoint Holly

Ilex cornuta 'Needlepoint'

Growing Zones 7-9

This fast growing holly makes a great privacy hedge. The shiny evergreen foliage and red berries make this tough and adaptable bush stand out in your landscape.

Orange Rocket Barberry

Berberis thunbergii 'Orange Rocket'

Growing Zones 4-9

The Orange Rocket is a very cool choice for a landscape plant. This orange bush is upright, columnar and deer, disease, and pest resistant.

Phenomenal Lavender

Lavandula x intermedia 'Niko'

Growing Zones 5-10

This is the best lavender you can buy. This evergreen variety tolerates heat, humidity, and drought and has high disease resistance. Phenomenal Lavender is very fragrant and edible.

Pieris Mountain Fire

Pieris japonica 'Mountain Fire'

Growing Zones 5-8

This Japanese Pieris is a shade tolerant broadleaf evergreen with lots of color. Enjoy clusters of white flowers in spring.

Purple Haze Butterfly Bush

Buddleja 'Purple Haze'

Growing Zones 5-9

Butterfly Bushes are colorful, have a long bloom season, are loved by pollinators, are very easy to grow and are one of the most deer resistant shrubs. You’ll love this pretty purple one in your yard!

Shenandoah Switch Grass

Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'

Growing Zones 4-9

Switchgrass is a great choice for deer resistance. This attractive ornamental grass is native and very low maintenance.

Now that you know “What are the Best Deer Resistant Plants?”, check out our complete list of Deer Resistant Plants in our online plant nursery for more options!

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What are the Best Deer Resistant Plants?