Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance

The following is a list of landscape plants rated according to their resistance to deer damage. The list was compiled with input from nursery and landscape professionals, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative Extension personnel, and Rutgers Master Gardeners in northern New Jersey.

Realizing that no plant is deer proof, plants in the Rarely Damaged, and Seldom Severely Damaged categories would be best for landscapes prone to deer damage. Plants Occasionally Severely Damaged and Frequently Severely Damaged are often preferred by deer and should only be planted with additional protection such as the use of fencing, repellents, etc. Success of any of these plants in the landscape will depend on local deer populations and weather conditions.

KEY:

A = Rarely Damaged
B = Seldom Severely Damaged
C = Occasionally Severely Damaged
D = Frequently Severely Damaged

Results for 'd'
Common Name	Latin Name	Type	Rating
Allegheny Spurge View photo of Allegheny Spurge	Pachysandra procumbens	Groundcovers	A
Angel's Trumpet	Brugmansia sp. (Datura)	Annuals	A
Arrowwood Viburnum	Viburnum dentatum	Shrubs	A
Barrenwort View photo of Barrenwort	Epimedium sp.	Groundcovers	A
Basket of Gold	Aurinia saxatilis	Perennials	A
Big Bluestem View photo of Big Bluestem	Andropogon sp.	Ornamental Grasses	A
Bigleaf Goldenray View photo of Bigleaf Goldenray	Ligularia dentata	Perennials	A
Bishop's Weed View photo of Bishop's Weed	Aegopodium podagaria	Groundcovers	A
Bleeding Heart View photo of Bleeding Heart	Dicentra spectabilis	Perennials	A
Blue Mist Shrub View photo of Blue Mist Shrub	Caryopteris clandonensis	Shrubs	A
Bluebell	Endymion sp.	Bulbs	A
Bugleweed View photo of Bugleweed	Ajuga reptans	Groundcovers	A
Butterfly Bush View photo of Butterfly Bush	Buddleia sp.	Shrubs	A
Christmas Fern View photo of Christmas Fern	Polystichum arcostichoides	Ferns	A
Cinnamon Fern	Osmunda cinnamomea	Ferns	A
Common Boxwood View photo of Common Boxwood	Buxus sempervirens	Shrubs	A
Common Foxglove View photo of Common Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea	Biennials	A
Corydalis View photo of Corydalis	Corydalis sp.	Perennials	A
Daffodil View photo of Daffodil	Narcissus sp.	Bulbs	A
Dame's Rocket	Hesperis matronalis	Perennials	A
Daphne View photo of Daphne	Daphne sp.	Shrubs	A
Devil's Walking Stick	Aralia spinosa	Shrubs	A
Drooping Leucothoe View photo of Drooping Leucothoe	Leucothoe fontanesiana	Shrubs	A
Dusty Miller	Centaurea cineraria	Annuals	A
Dwarf Alberta Spruce View photo of Dwarf Alberta Spruce	Picea glauca 'Conica'	Trees	A
False Indigo View photo of False Indigo	Baptisia australis	Perennials	A
Feather Reed Grass View photo of Feather Reed Grass	Calamagrostis sp.	Ornamental Grasses	A
Fountain Grass View photo of Fountain Grass	Pennisetum alopecuroides	Ornamental Grasses	A
Fringed Bleeding Heart	Dicentra eximia	Perennials	A
Garden Sage View photo of Garden Sage	Salvia officinalis	Perennials	A
Germander View photo of Germander	Teucrium chamaedrys	Perennials	A
Giant Japanese Silver Grass	Miscanthus floridulis	Ornamental Grasses	A
Giant Reed View photo of Giant Reed	Arundo donax	Ornamental Grasses	A
Golden Bamboo	Phyllostachys aurea	Ornamental Grasses	A
Hard Rush	Juncus effusus	Ornamental Grasses	A
Hayscented Fern View photo of Hayscented Fern	Dennstaedtia punctilobula	Ferns	A
Horehound	Marrubium vulgare	Perennials	A
Horseradish	Armoracia rusticana	Perennials	A
Indian Grass	Sorghastrum nutans	Ornamental Grasses	A
Japanese Blood Grass View photo of Japanese Blood Grass	Imperata cylindrica	Ornamental Grasses	A
Japanese Painted Fern View photo of Japanese Painted Fern	Athyrium goeringianum (nipponicum)	Ferns	A
Japanese Pieris, Andromeda View photo of Japanese Pieris, Andromeda	Pieris japonica	Shrubs	A
Japanese Sedge View photo of Japanese Sedge	Carex sp.	Ornamental Grasses	A
Katsura Tree	Cercidiphyllum japonicum	Trees	A
Larkspur	Consolida ambigua	Annuals	A
Lavendar	Lavandula sp.	Perennials	A
Lavender-Cotton	Santolina chamaecyparissus	Perennials	A
Lydia Morris Holly	Ilex x 'Lydia Morris'	Shrubs	A
May Apple	Podophyllum	Perennials	A
Meadow Rue	Thalictrum sp.	Perennials	A
Monkshood	Aconitum sp.	Perennials	A
Mountain Pieris	Pieris floribunda	Shrubs	A
Pachysandra View photo of Pachysandra	Pachysandra terminalis	Groundcovers	A
Pampus Grass	Cortaderia selloana	Ornamental Grasses	A
Pitch Pine	Pinus rigida	Trees	A
Pot Marigold View photo of Pot Marigold	Calendula sp.	Annuals	A
Purple Rock-Cress	Aubretia deltoidea	Perennials	A
Red Elderberry	Sambucus racemosa	Shrubs	A
Red Pine	Pinus resinosa	Trees	A
Rodgers Flower	Rodgersia sp.	Perennials	A
Royal Fern	Osmunda regalis	Ferns	A
Russian Cypress View photo of Russian Cypress	Microbiota decussata	Shrubs	A
Silver Mound View photo of Silver Mound	Artemisia sp.	Perennials	A
Snapdragon	Antirrhinum majus	Annuals	A
Snowdrops	Galanthus nivalis	Bulbs	A
Spider Flower View photo of Spider Flower	Cleome sp.	Annuals	A
Spotted Deadnettle View photo of Spotted Deadnettle	Lamium sp.	Groundcovers	A
Sweet Woodruff View photo of Sweet Woodruff	Galium odoratum (Asperula odorata)	Groundcovers	A
Tarragon	Artemisia dracunculus	Perennials	A
Threadleaf Coreopsis View photo of Threadleaf Coreopsis	Coreopsis verticillata	Perennials	A
Variegated Purple Moor Grass	Molinia caerulea 'Variegata'	Ornamental Grasses	A
Varigated Oat Grass	Arrhenatherum elatius	Ornamental Grasses	A
Wild Ginger View photo of Wild Ginger	Asarum canadense	Perennials	A
Wood Fern	Dryopteris marginalis	Ferns	A
American Bittersweet	Celastrus scandens	Vines	B
Anthony Waterer Spirea	Spiraea x bumalda	Shrubs	B
Bearberry Cotoneaster	Cotoneaster dammeri	Shrubs	B
Beebalm View photo of Beebalm	Monarda didyma	Perennials	B
Black-Eyed Susan View photo of Black-Eyed Susan	Rudbeckia sp.	Perennials	B
Blueberry Elder, Sweet Elder	Sambucus canadensis	Shrubs	B
Bog Rosemary	Andromeda polifolia	Shrubs	B
Bridalwreath Spirea	Spiraea prunifolia	Shrubs	B
Butterfly Weed	Asclepias tuberosa	Perennials	B
California Sweetshrub	Calycanthus occidentalis	Shrubs	B
Calla Lily	Zantedeschia sp.	Bulbs	B
Candytuft	Iberis sempervirens	Perennials	B
Candytuft	Iberis umbellata	Annuals	B
Cardinal Flower View photo of Cardinal Flower	Lobelia sp.	Perennials	B
Carnation, Pinks	Dianthus sp.	Perennials	B
Colorado Blue Spruce	Picea pungens	Trees	B
Common Sassafras	Sassafras albidurn	Trees	B
Common Sweetshrub	Calycanthus floridus	Shrubs	B
Corkscrew Willow	Salix matsudana tortuosa	Trees	B
Crape Myrtle View photo of Crape Myrtle	Lagerstroemia indica	Shrubs	B
Dawn Redwood	Metasequoia glyptostroboides	Trees	B
Delphinium	Delphinium sp.	Perennials	B
Deutzia View photo of Deutzia	Deutzia sp.	Shrubs	B
Dill	Anethumus graveolens	Annuals	B
Doublefile Viburnum View photo of Doublefile Viburnum	Viburnum plicatum tomentosurn	Shrubs	B
Douglas Fir	Pseudotsuga menziesii	Trees	B
Downy Serviceberry	Amelanchier arborea	Trees	B
Dragon Lady, San Jose Holly	Ilex x aquipernyi	Trees	B
Drooping Sedge	Carex pendula	Ornamental Grasses	B
Dwarf Balsam Fir	Abies balsamea	Shrubs	B
Dwarf Mondo Grass	Ophiopogon japonicus	Ornamental Grasses	B
Eastern Red Cedar View photo of Eastern Red Cedar	Juniperus virginiana	Trees	B
European White Birch	Betula pendula	Trees	B
Foam Flower View photo of Foam Flower	Tiarella cordifolia	Perennials	B
Forsythia View photo of Forsythia	Forsythia x intermedia	Shrubs	B
French Marigold View photo of French Marigold	Tagetes patula	Annuals	B
Gas Plant View photo of Gas Plant	Dictamus alba	Perennials	B
Gladiolus	Gladiolus sp.	Bulbs	B
Goldenrain Tree View photo of Goldenrain Tree	Koelreuteria paniculata	Trees	B
Goldenrod View photo of Goldenrod	Solidago sp.	Perennials	B
Goldust Plant View photo of Goldust Plant	Aucuba japonica	Shrubs	B
Hardy Geranium	Geranium macrorrhizum	Perennials	B
Harlequin Glorybower	Clerodendrum fargesii	Shrubs	B
Hens and Chickens View photo of Hens and Chickens	Sempervivum sp.	Perennials	B
Honey Locust View photo of Honey Locust	Gleditsia triacanthos	Trees	B
Jacob's Ladder	Polemonium caeruleum	Perennials	B
Japanese Anemone	Anemone x hybrida	Perennials	B
Japanese Cedar	Cryptomeria japonica	Trees	B
Japanese Garden Juniper	Juniperus procumbens 'Nana'	Shrubs	B
Japanese Red Pine	Pinus densiflora	Trees	B
Judd Viburnum	Viburnum x juddii	Shrubs	B
Kousa Dogwood View photo of Kousa Dogwood	Cornus kousa	Trees	B
Ladys' Mantle View photo of Ladys' Mantle	Alchemilla sp.	Perennials	B
Leatherleaf Viburnum	Viburnum rhytidophyllum	Shrubs	B
Maltese Cross View photo of Maltese Cross	Lychnis chalcedonica	Perennials	B
Meadow Sage	Salvia nemorosa	Perennials	B
Obedient Plant	Physostegia sp.	Perennials	B
Plumbago View photo of Plumbago	Ceratostigma plumbaginoides	Groundcovers	B
Plume Poppy	Macleaya cordata	Perennials	B
Red Chokeberry	Aronia arbutifolia	Shrubs	B
Red Maple	Acer rubrum	Trees	B
Red Osier Dogwood	Cornus sericea	Shrubs	B
Red Twigged Dogwood	Cornus alba	Shrubs	B
Red-Hot Poker View photo of Red-Hot Poker	Kniphofia tritoma	Perennials	B
Redvein Enkianthus View photo of Redvein Enkianthus	Enkianthus campanulatus	Shrubs	B
Ribbon Grass	Phalaris arundinaceae	Ornamental Grasses	B
Rue Anemone	Anemonella thalictroides	Perennials	B
Sea Buckthorn	Hippophae rhamnoides	Shrubs	B
Sedge	Scirpus lacustris	Ornamental Grasses	B
Shadbush	Amelanchier canadensis	Trees	B
Singleseed Juniper (1)	Juniperus squamata cv.	Shrubs	B
Skunk Cabbage	Symplocarpos foetidus	Perennials	B
Sneezeweed	Helenium autumnale	Perennials	B
Sourwood	Oxydendrum arboreum	Trees	B
Speedwell View photo of Speedwell	Veronica sp.	Perennials	B
Spicebush	Lindera benzoin	Shrubs	B
Spiderwort	Tradescantia sp.	Perennials	B
Striped Maple	Acer pensylvanicum	Trees	B
Swamp Milkweed View photo of Swamp Milkweed	Asclepias incarnata	Perennials	B
Sweet Mock Orange View photo of Sweet Mock Orange	Philadelphus coronarius	Shrubs	B
Sweet William	Dianthus barbatus	Biennials	B
Toad Lily View photo of Toad Lily	Tricyrtis hirta	Perennials	B
Tulip Tree	Liriodendron tulipifera	Trees	B
Verbena	Verbena x hybrida	Annuals	B
Weigela	Weigela florida	Shrubs	B
White Boltonia	Boltonia asteroides	Perennials	B
Winter Jasmine	Jasminum nudiflorum	Vines	B
Wisteria	Wisteria floribunda	Vines	B
Wood Sorrel	Oxalis sp.	Bulbs	B
Yarrow	Achillea filipendulina	Perennials	B
Yellow Foxglove View photo of Yellow Foxglove	Digitalis grandiflora	Perennials	B
Youngstown Andorra Juniper	Juniperus horizontalis 'Youngstown'	Shrubs	B
Alternate-Leaved Dogwood	Cornus alternifolia	Trees	C
Atlantic White Cedar	Chamaecyparis thyoides	Trees	C
Atlas Cedar	Cedrus atlantica	Trees	C
Bald Cypress	Taxodium distichum	Trees	C
Balloon Flower	Platycodon grandiflorus	Perennials	C
Basswood	Tilia americana	Trees	C
Bigleaf Hydrangea	Hydrangea macrophylla	Shrubs	C
Black Locust	Robinia pseudoacia	Trees	C
Blanket Flower View photo of Blanket Flower	Gaillardia sp.	Perennials	C
Bloodtwig Dogwood	Cornus sanguinea	Shrubs	C
Caladium	Caladium sp.	Bulbs	C
Canterbury Bells	Campanula medium	Biennials	C
Carolina Rhododendron	Rhododendron carolinianum	Shrubs	C
Catawba Rhododendron	Rhododendron catawbiense	Shrubs	C
Checkermallow	Sidalcia malviflora	Perennials	C
Climbing Hydrangea View photo of Climbing Hydrangea	Hydrangea anomala petiolaris	Vines	C
Dahlia	Dahlia sp.	Annuals	C
Daylily	Hemerocallis sp.	Perennials	C
Deciduous Azaleas (1)	Rhododendron sp.	Shrubs	C
Eastern Hemlock	Tsuga canadensis	Trees	C
Eastern Redbud View photo of Eastern Redbud	Cercis canadensis	Trees	C
English Daisy	Bellis perennis	Perennials	C
English Ivy View photo of English Ivy	Hedera helix	Groundcovers	C
English Ivy View photo of English Ivy	Hedera helix	Vines	C
European Larch	Larix decidua	Trees	C
Flowering Dogwood View photo of Flowering Dogwood	Cornus florida	Trees	C
Garden Lily	Lilium sp.	Bulbs	C
Garden Petunia View photo of Garden Petunia	Petunia sp.	Annuals	C
Gerbera Daisy	Gerbera jamesonii	Annuals	C
Goat's Beard	Aruncus sp.	Perennials	C
Goldflame Honeysuckle View photo of Goldflame Honeysuckle	Lonicera x heckrottii	Vines	C
Gooseneck Loosestrife	Lysimachia clethroides	Perennials	C
Greenspire Littleleaf Linden	Tilia cordata 'Greenspire'	Trees	C
Hardy Begonia View photo of Hardy Begonia	Begonia grandis	Perennials	C
Hardy Geranium	Geranium clarkei	Perennials	C
Hardy Geranium	Geranium sanguineum	Perennials	C
Hardy Geranium	Geranium x cantabrigiense	Perennials	C
Heavenly Bamboo View photo of Heavenly Bamboo	Nandina sp.	Shrubs	C
Hybrid Tea Rose	Rosa x hybrid	Shrubs	C
Leyland Cypress	Cupressocyparis leyandii	Trees	C
Meadowsweet	Filipendula sp.	Perennials	C
Northern Red Oak	Quercus rubra	Trees	C
Norway Maple	Acer platanoides	Trees	C
Oakleaf Hydrangea View photo of Oakleaf Hydrangea	Hydrangea quercifolia	Shrubs	C
Panicle Hydrangea	Hydrangea paniculata	Shrubs	C
Panicled Dogwood	Cornus racemosa	Shrubs	C
Pink Turtlehead	Chelone sp.	Perennials	C
Purple Leaf Sand Cherry	Prunus x cistena	Shrubs	C
Rosebay Rhododendron	Rhododendron maximum	Shrubs	C
Shasta Daisy	Chrysanthemum superbum	Perennials	C
Shasta Daisy	Leucanthemum maximum	Perennials	C
Showy Sedum	Sedum spectabile	Perennials	C
Smooth Hydrangea View photo of Smooth Hydrangea	Hydrangea arborescens	Shrubs	C
Spurge	Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon'	Perennials	C
Sundrops	Oenethera sp.	Perennials	C
Sweetgum	Liquidambar styraciflua	Trees	C
Trumpet Creeper View photo of Trumpet Creeper	Campsis radicans	Vines	C
Winged Euonymus	Euonymus alata	Shrubs	C
American Arborvitae	Thuja occidentalis	Trees	D
Candy Lily	Pardancanda x norrisii	Perennials	D
Evergreen Azaleas (1)	Rhododendron sp.	Shrubs	D
Hardy Geranium	Geranium endressii	Perennials	D
Pinxterbloom Azalea	Rhododendron penclymenoides	Shrubs	D
Rhododendrons (1)	Rhododendron sp.	Shrubs	D

Footnotes

1 Check other rating categories to find additional species or cultivars of this genus.

2 May eat buds.

Credits

Content: Pete Nitzsche, Pedro Perdomo, and David Drake
Photos: Pete Nitzsche
Database Design: Kathy Robinson and Phil Wisneski
Website Design: Phil Wisneski

Special thanks to our cooperators on this project: Helen Heinrich, Certified Landscape Architect; James Messina, Certified Landscape Architect, Landscape Plus; Valerie Sudal, Garden Writer, The Newark Star-Ledger; and numerous landscapers, Master Gardeners, and nurserymen who provided ratings.