The avid gardener loves to have beautiful plants to adorn the yarn and garden year-round. Unfortunately, deer love beautiful plants. They enjoy eating them I should say. It’s near impossible to plant a garden that deer won’t be attracted to but there are some perennial plants that are deer-resistant. Take a look at these 10 deer-resistant perennial flowers that you can easily add to your lovely garden. They are some of the best plants to choose from in the herbaceous perennial family.
What plants do deer eat?
Deer tend to eat evergreen plants with narrow leaves. They love arborvitae and fir varieties. These pesky animals also like hostas, daylilies, and English ivy.
Try to keep your gardens safest from October through February, as this is when deer tend to venture out for more food. Some gardeners have noticed that deer enjoy plants that are fertilized, so keep this in mind as well.
Your best option is to choose deer-resistant perennials for your garden if deer live close by.
1. Catmint
Catmint is a very aromatic herb grown in gardens around the world. The flowers grow in sweet little clusters and their coloring resembles that of lavender. These plants are wonderful planted in large quantities and can be used as an insect deterrent for aphids and Japanese beetles.
Plant them close to vegetables to keep away the bugs. They do well in partial shade or full sun and need well-drained soil. What’s even better about these lovely plants is that they are heat and drought-resistant, making them fairly easy to care for.
2. Coneflower
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is one of many great deer-resistant plants that make great additions in your garden. Their stems grow anywhere from 2 to 5 feet tall. They end at the top with a single flower and many drooping petals. They come in a variety of colors and are easy to grow in your garden.
The Greek word echinos means “hedgehog”, which is a statement toward their spiny central disk or flower at the top. You won’t have to work about hungry deer taking these flowers away. These flowers also love well-drained soil.
3. Hellebore
Hellebore flowers bloom in late winter to early spring but stick around throughout the year. They are another great addition to your garden and are very low maintenance. They are offered in a range of colors from white to black and are very fragrant.
This evergreen perennial is poisonous, so take care to keep children and pets away. These plants enjoy proper sunlight and plenty of space. They make beautiful flowers in the garden with their often pink flowers!
4. Peony
The peony is an extremely popular perennial flower and has been grown in American gardens since the early 1800s. They have a very sweet smell and huge, double-bloom flowers. They are available in a wide variety and rainbow of colors from dark to pastels. People often cut them for bouquets and you can almost always find them in stores.
The most ideal place to plant them is along a sidewalk or path where people will pass by. They should be planted in well-draining soil and full sun.
5. Bee balm
The Bee Balm plant is native to North America and is part of the mint family. When fully grown, it stands at 2.5 to 4 feet tall. It has pointy leaves and large blossoms in the summer months. These blossoms are often crimson red or lavender in color and are thin and tubular in shape.
Bee balm plants begin to bloom around late September and attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Plant them in sun to part shade for best results.
6. Black-eyed Susan
Black-Eyed Susans are a fan favorite with their bright yellow petals and large center. They have a daisy-like flower that blooms from June to September. Its name comes from the dark brown or purple centers of the flower. These plants can grow over 3 feet tall with a 2 to 3-inch diameter flower head.
Butterflies, bees, and other insects love these plants, but deer don’t care for them, so plant away! Once they are established, they are drought-tolerant as well!
7. Clematis
Clematis is a beautiful flowering vine popular in vertical gardens. There are both herbaceous and evergreen varieties that you can choose from. These pretty flowers bloom in early spring and fall and come in many colors, most commonly a deep purple.
Clematis loves sunny areas with cool soil. This may sound complicated but the best way to achieve this is by planting a ground cover or shallow-rooted perennials around the base of the clematis. Many gardeners use an arbor, the side of their house, or another tall structure for the clematis to grow on.
8. Astilbe
Astilbe is sure to be the primary focal point of your perennial garden. They have tall, puffy plumes that grow in a fern-like pattern. They are great companions to hosta and hellebores. I just love the pink varieties of this flowering plant!
You can easily plant different varieties to have them growing at different heights. This adds a little dimension to your deer-resistant garden bed. These would be wonderful additions to a shade garden and are drought-tolerant. They prefer sun to part shade growing spaces.
9. Columbine
Columbine perennials are beautiful, bright flowers that bloom against green foliage. Their leaves are very clover-like and the flowers come in multiple variations. Some are solid-colored, while others are two-toned. The flowers are a unique bell shape with five petals.
These beautiful flowers attract bees, hummingbirds, and many other birds. Luckily, deer don’t show much interest in them, so they are safe in your garden. These are best planted in gently sloping or wide-open areas for more room and in areas with sun to part shade.
10. Sedum
Sedum has large clusters of star-shaped flowers that bloom starting in midsummer and carry into fall. They are easy to care for and are great pollinators. They are one of the easiest perennials to care for and are very hardy plants. They come in low-growing sedum or tall/upright sedum varieties.
Low-growing sedum is great for ground coverage while the taller variety does well to border gardens or paths. These lovely plants need well-drained, average to rich soil to grow. These are also great because they are drought-tolerant and can grow in sun to part shade.
More deer-resistant perennial plants
These deer-resistant plants vary in their blooms from early summer to late spring. They are wonderful additions to rock gardens and gardens with part shade. They are amazing ornamental plants that will keep the local deer population away. Pick your favorite perennial from above, give them good drainage, and watch them prosper. Be aware that some are poisonous plants, so always do your research. Many are scented, so enjoy your fragrant foliage!
Other deer-resistant perennials include lamb’s ear, yarrow, lavender, bleeding heart, and salvia.
