Below is a list of plants that tend to be more deer-resistant and tend not to be severely damaged. Deer-resistant does not mean deerproof, and even the plants on this list will get nibbled on from time to time.
Deer browsing depends upon the available food source for that year, time of year, location, deer species and simple curiosity. The only surefire way to keep the deer from nibbling is to put up a tall enough fence. Use this list as a guideline. Good luck!
Trees
- Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
- Vine maple (Acer circinatum)
- Boxelder (Acer negundo)
- Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)
- European white wirch (Betula pendula)
- Incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)
- Atlas cedar (Cedrus negundo)
- European beech (Fagus sylvatica)
- Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
- Holly (Ilex spp.)
- Juniper (Juniperus spp.)
- Western larch (Larix occidentalis)
- Norway spruce (Picea abies)
- White spruce (Picea glauca)
- Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens)
- Bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata)
- Mugo pine (Pinus mugo)
- Austrian pine (Pinus nigra)
- Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris)
- Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata)
- Pin oak (Quercus palustris)
- Red oak (Quercus rubra)
- Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
- Corkscrew willow (Salix matsudana tortuosa)
- Mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia)
- Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata)
Shrubs
- Barberry (Berberis spp.)
- Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium)
- Pea shrub (Caragana spp.)
- Bluebeard (Caryopteris clandonensis)
- Flowering quince (Chaenomeles spp.)
- Desert Sweet (Chamaebatiaria millefolium)
- Gray rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus)
- Green rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus)
- Red osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)
- Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria)
- Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster spp.)
- Shrubby potentilla (Dasiphora fruticosa)
- Forsythia (Forsythia spp.)
- Holly (Ilex spp.)
- Juniper (Juniperus spp.)
- Beauty bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis)
- Prickly pear (Opuntia spp.)
- Pumila spruce (Picea abies ‘Pumila’)
- Firethorn (Pyracantha spp.)
- Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.)
- Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)
- Buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis)
- Snowmound spirea (Spiraea nipponica)
- Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
- Viburnum (Viburnum spp.)
- Adam’s Needle yucca (Yucca filamentosa)
Vines
- Clematis (Clematis spp.)
Perennials and bulbs
- Yarrow (Achillea spp.)
- Monkshood (Aconitum spp.)
- Ladybells (Adenophora confusa)
- Hyssop (Agastache rupestris)
- Carpet bugle (Ajuga reptans)
- Onion/garlic (Allium spp.)
- Ornamental onion (Allium senescens ‘Glaucum’)
- Marguerite daisy (Anthemis spp.)
- Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
- Wormwood or sage (Artemisia spp.)
- Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)
- Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatilis)
- Arrow-leaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata)
- False indigo (Baptisia australis)
- Bluebeard (Caryopteris clandonensis)
- Bachelor’s button (Centaurea cyanus)
- Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
- Coreopsis or tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora)
- Threadleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata)
- Delphinium (Delphinium spp.)
- Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
- Maiden pinks (Dianthus deltoides )
- Bleeding heart (Dicentra spp. )
- Foxglove (Digitalis spp. )
- Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Buckwheat (Eriogonum spp.)
- Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa)
- Blanket flower (Gaillardia spp.)
- Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum)
- Cranesbill (Geranium spp.)
- Grecian rose (Geum spp.)
- Baby's breath (Gypsophila spp.)
- Sneezeweed (Helenium spp.)
- Hellebore (Helleborus spp.)
- Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
- Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
- Iris (Iris spp.)
- Red-hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria)
- Deadnettle (Lamium spp.)
- Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
- Gayfeather (Liatris spp.)
- Blue flax (Linum lewisii)
- Desert parsley (Lomatium spp.)
- Lupine (Lupinus spp.)
- Maltese cross (Lychnis chalcedonica)
- Rose campion (Lychnis coronaria)
- Daffodil, narcissus (Narcissus spp.)
- Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
- Evening primrose (Oenothera spp.)
- Oregano (Origanum spp.)
- Peony (Paeonia spp.)
- Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale)
- Penstemon (Penstemon spp.)
- Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana)
- Creeping potentilla (Potentilla verna ‘Nana’)
- Mexican hat (Ratibida spp.)
- Rhubarb (Rheum spp.)
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.)
- Sage (Salvia nemorosa)
- Russian sage (Salvia yangii)
- Lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus)
- Soapwort (Saponaria spp.)
- Pincushion (Scabiosa spp.)
- Catchfly (Silene spp.)
- Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
- Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina)
- Orange globe mallow (Sphaeralcea munroana)
- Tansy and feverfew (Tanacetum spp.)
- Germander (Teucrium spp.)
- Thyme (Thymus spp.)
- Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- Mule’s ears (Wyethia spp.)
This piece is part of the collection
Living with wildlife, Central Oregon garden publications
