Do wild deer often sneak out by your garden and ruin everything? If so, I'll let you in on a little secret: Deer prefer to avoid aromatic plants with strong aromas, as well as blooms with toxicity. See my list of low-maintenance deer-resistant plants for more information.
Daphne
- Hardiness zones: 4-9
- Height: 1–5 feet
- Spread: 2–6 feet
- Soil type: Moist, well-draining soil
Daphne odora is an evergreen shrub with maybe the most intensely fragrant blooms of all daphnes, as the name implies.
Daphnes are toxic in all sections and are resistant to deer. It's high on many gardeners' "must have" lists. It's small, blooms profusely, and offers color to the garden throughout the winter months when flowers are scarce.
Daphne is picky about growing conditions and does not transfer well, so put it in a permanent location.
Bayberry
- Hardiness zones: 3-9
- Height: 25 feet
- Spread: 5 - 6 Feet
- Soil type: Dry to moist, well-drained soil
Bayberry is a dense-branching deciduous shrub with a rounded form that reaches 6-10 feet tall.
The scent of bayberry discourages deer from eating it.
Bayberry is a hardy and easy-to-grow plant that can survive a wide range of landscape conditions, including full sun to partial shade, wet swamplands, and high, dry, and alkaline environments.
The plant is also drought, erosion, and salt resilient, making it perfect for seashore applications.
Butterfly Bush
- Hardiness zones: 5-10
- Height: 15 feet
- Spread: 4 to 10 feet
- Soil type: acid to moderately alkaline soils
Deer seldom eat butterfly bush, and even if they do, the plant grows quickly within the same season. Butterfly bush is also resistant to a variety of diseases and pests.
It's no wonder that butterfly bushes are popular; they're stunning.
They produce gorgeous inflorescences from late summer to fall. The flower colors range from purple to lilac and typically have orange eyes in the center.
Russian Sage
- Hardiness zones: 5-9
- Height: 3 to 5 feet
- Spread: 2 to 4 feet
- Soil type: slightly alkaline lean soils
Russian sage is a tall shrub that grows to be 3-5 feet tall with a spread of 2-3 feet, making a hedge to deter deer from damaging your garden by fragrance and providing a barrier.
The plant is visually appealing, with square, silvery-gray stems and elongate, gray-green leaves that resemble lavender.
Late in the summer, Russian sage blossoms small purple-blue tubular flowers, lending an airy, textural effect.
Russian sage is a simple plant to cultivate.
Bluebeard
- Hardiness zones: 5-9
- Height: 2–4 feet
- Spread: 2–4 feet
- Soil type: Medium moisture, well-drained soils
Bluebeard is a popular garden plant due to its drought tolerance and deer resistance. Another significant reason is the beauty of its rich, violet-blue blossoms from late summer to fall.
Bluebeard's foliage is grayish green with silver undersides. The fuzzy oval leaves do not turn a noticeable color in the fall.
Weigela
- Hardiness zones: 4-8
- Height: 6–9 feet
- Spread: 9–12 feet
- Soil type: slightly alkaline to moderately acidic moist, well-drained soils
Weigela is dormant throughout the winter, therefore animals such as deer usually ignore it. It produces tubular five-lobed blooms in red, pink, white, and yellow throughout the spring and summer.
This is a low-maintenance shrub that thrives in most growing situations.
Catmint
- Hardiness zones: 3-9
- Height: 3 feet
- Spread: 3 feet
- Soil type: Humus-rich, well-draining soils
The fragrance and texture of catmint leaves are repulsive to deer. In reality, this plant is rarely disturbed by pests or animals.
Catmint has gray-green loose leaves and violet-blue blossoms held above it. Flowers are produced over a lengthy period of time, but it's a good idea to cut them back after they've bloomed to keep the plant looking clean and to encourage more to grow.
Lavender
- Hardiness zones: 5-9
- Height: 20 to 24 inches
- Spread: 20 to 24 inches
- Soil type: sandy, well-draining soils
The flowers and leaves of lavender have a strong aroma that repels deer. Linalool, a terpene component, contributes to the plant's powerful aroma, making it naturally pest-repellant and deer-deterrent (yet attractive to humans).
Lavender is commonly planted as an annual in humid settings, but as a perennial in drier climates.
Peonies
- Hardiness zones: 3 and 7-8
- Height: 3 feet
- Spread: 3 feet
- Soil type: well-drained, slightly acidic soils
Peony blooms have a distinct aroma and flavor that deer dislike. Deer apparently think peonies stink, so they avoid them at meals.
This plant will happily thrive in the ground or in a large container for several years. They are highly resilient and easy to cultivate.
Ornamental Salvias
- Hardiness zones: 5-9
- Height: 2–4 feet
- Spread: 1-4 feet
- Soil type: well-drained soils
Deer avoid scented herbs and other vegetation. Salvia ornamenta is a nice example. Deer dislike Salvias and avoid eating the leaves.
Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, on the other hand, love Salvias.
Salvias are an excellent choice for an easy-care garden because of their little maintenance and drought resistance.
Bee balm
Hardiness zones: 4-9
Height: 1-4 feet
Spread: 1-3 feet
Soil type: well-drained soil
Deer dislike the strong, citrusy fragrance of bee balm, so they typically avoid eating its aromatic leaves and blooms. Plus, this natural deterrent protects plants in the vicinity from deer browsing.
Once established, bee balm can persist for many years with minimal care. Specifically, they can continue to bloom without extensive grooming.
Hardy pampas grass
Hardiness zones: 7-10
Height: 6-12 feet
Spread: 6-10 feet
Soil type: well-drained soil
While not toxic, pampas grass has an unpalatable taste due to its high silica content, which can make the foliage less appealing to deer.
After being established, these plants are low-maintenance and require minimal watering, fertilization, and pruning. Its high drought tolerance makes it well-suited for landscapes that require less intensive care.
Lungwort
Hardiness zones: 3-8
Height: 6-12 inches
Spread: 12-24 inches
Soil type: well-drained soil
Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.) is considered low-maintenance due to its adaptability to a range of growing conditions, making it suitable for various garden settings without requiring specific care.
Additionally, lungwort contains compounds that are mildly toxic to animals, including deer, which contributes to its deer-resistant nature along with its unappealing foliage and unpleasant scent.
Ornamental onion (Alliums)
- Hardiness zones: 4-9
- Height: small alliums (6-12 inches); medium-sized alliums (1-2 feet), tall alliums (3-4 feet)
- Spread: 6-2 feet
- Soil type: well-drained soil
These plants are often left undisturbed for years once established in suitable conditions, requiring minimal watering and fertilization. They thrive without the need for extensive pruning or grooming.
Deer, like many people, are not fond of the strongly pungent onion scent and a slightly bitter taste of ornamental onions due to its sulfur compounds.
Hardy geraniums
- Hardiness zones: 3-9
- Height: 6 inches - 2 feet
- Spread: 6-2 feet
- Soil type: well-drained soil
Hardy geraniums are beloved for their easy-care nature, tolerance to varying light conditions, and ability to withstand drought. Thus, I love how they produce beautiful and eye-catching flowers while requiring minimal care.
Deer tend to avoid hardy geraniums due to their strong scents and hairy, rough textures. Additionally, the relatively low nutritional content of hardy geraniums makes them less attractive to deer.
Conclusion
When making this list of 10 low-maintenance deer-resistant plants, I tried to vary options based on hardiness zones, soil type, and bush size so that you will find the right ones for your garden. I hope you like this article. Thanks for reading!
