Deer Resistant Plants
The resistance to deer damage is related to the availability of other food.
During periods with heavy snows and in areas of little food, the deer could be forced to eat plants that are normally considered resistant to deer foraging.
The following is a list of plants that the Viettes have compiled that are seldom, rarely or never eaten by deer:
List by categories
*Starred plants are considered to be most resistant to deer browsing.
Annuals and Biennials
Ageratum houstonaianum - Ageratum
Antirrhinum majus - Snapdragon
Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum - Wax Begonia
Calendula officinalis - Pot Marigold
Cleome hasslerana - Spider flower
Dahlia sp. - Dahlia
Datura sp. - Downy thorn apple
Digitalis sp - Foxglove
Gaillardia pulchella - Blanket Flower
Heliotropium arborecens - Heliotrope
Hypoestes phyllostachya - Polka-Dot Plant
Ipomoea sp. - Morning Glory
Lobelia erinus - Edging Lobelia
Lobularia maritima - Sweet Alyssum
Mirabalis jalapa - Four-0'Clock
Myosotis sylvatica - Forget-Me-Not
Ocimum basilicum - Sweet Basil
Papaver sp. - Poppy
Pelargonium x hortorum - Zonal geranium
Petroselinum crispum - Parsley
Salvia farinacea - Blue Salvia
Senecio cineraria - Dusty Miller
Silybum sp. - Thistle
Tagetes sp. - Marigold
Verbena x hybrida - Verbena
Zantedeschia spp. - Calla LIly
Herbaceous Perennials, Grasses, Ferns, and Bulbs
Achillea sp. - Yarrow, Sneezeweed
Aconitum - Monkshood
Agapanthus - African Lily
Allium schoenoprasum - Chives
Allium sp. - Ornamental Onions
Allium tuerosum - Garlic Chives
Alyssum saxatile - Basket of Gold
Amsonia tabernaemontana - Blue Star
Anemone sp. - Anemones
Angelica archangelica - Angelica
Aquilegia canadensis - Columbine
Arabis - Rock Crest
Arisaema triplyllum - Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Armeria - Sea Thrift
Artemisia sp. - Wormwood
Aruncus dioicus - Goatsbeard
Asarum - Wild Ginger
* Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Weed
Asperula odorata (Gallium) - Sweet Woodruff
* Astilbe sp. - Astilbe
* Athyrium - Japanese Painted/Lady Fern
Baptisia sp. - False Indigo
Bergenia sp. - Bergenia
Boltonia asteroides - Boltonia
Calluna sp. - Heather
Campanula carpatica - Carpathian Bellflower
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides - Plumbago
Chelone sp. - Turtlehead
Chrysanthemum coccineum (Tanicetum) - Painted Daisy
Chrysanthemum parthenium - Feverfew
Chrysanthemum maximum (Leucanthemum) - Shasta Daisy
* Chrysogonum - Goldenstar
* Cimicifuga racemosa - Bugbane
* Colchicum - Colchicum
Coreospis sp. - Coreposis
Delphinium - Delphinium
Dennstaedia punctiloba - Hay-scented Fern
* Diantus sp. - Sweet William, pinks
Dicentra exima - Bleeding heart
* Dictamnus albus - Gas Plant
Digitalis - Foxglove
* Dryopteris - Fern
Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower
Echinops sp. - Globe Thistle
* Epimedium - Barrenwort
Erica sp. - Heath
* Eupatorium sp. - Joe-Pye Weed
* Euphorbia sp. - Spurge
Festuca - Fescue
* Filipendula sp. - Queen-of-the-Prairie
Fritallaria imperialis - Crown Imperial
Geranium - Geranium
Geum sp. - Avens
Gypsophila paniculata - Baby's breath
Helianthus spp. - Sunflower family
* Helleborus sp. - Hellebore
Hyacinthus - Hyacinth
* Iberis sempervirens - Candytuft
Iris species - Iris
Kirengeshoma palmata - Yellow Waxbells
Kniphofia spp. - Red-hot Poker
Lamium - Dead Nettle
* Lavandula sp. - Lavender
Liatris spicata - Spike Gayfeather
Lilium lancifolium - Tiger Lily
Limonium latifolium - Statice
Linaria sp. - Toadflax
Linum perenne - Perennial Blue Flax
Lupinus sp. - Lupine
Lychnis - Campion
Lythrum sp. - Loosestrife
* Matteuccia pennsylvania - Ostrich Fern
* Mentha sp. - Mint
Mitchella repens - Partridge-berry
Monarda didyma - Beebalm
Myosotis scorpiodes (palustris) - true Forget-Me-Not
Myrrhis odorata - Sweet Cicely
* Narcissus sp. - Daffodil
Nepeta sp. - Catmint
Oenothera sp. - Evening Primrose
Oenothera tetragona - Sundrops
* Onoclea sensibilis - Sensitive Fern
Origanum sp. - Oregano
* Osmunda cinnamomea - Cinnamon Fern
* Osmunda claytoniana - Interrupted Fern
* Osmunda regalis - Royal Fern
Papaver orientale - Oriental Poppy
* Perovskia - Russian Sage
Phalaris arundinacea 'Picta' - Ribbon Grass
Platycodon grandiflorus - Balloon Flower
Polemonium caeruleum - Jacob's Ladder
* Polystichum acrostichoides - Christmas Fern
Potentilla sp. - Cinquefoil
Primula sp. - Primrose
Pulmonaria sp. - Lungwort
Ranunculus sp. - Buttercup
* Rheum sp. - Rhubarb
Rosmarinus officinalis - Rosemary
Salvia sp. - Sage
* Santolina - Lavender Cotton
Saponaria sp. - Soapwort
Scilla sp. - Scilla
Solidago sp. - Goldenrod
Stachys byzantina - Lamb's Ear
Stokesia - Stoke's Aster
* Tanactum sp. - Tansy
* Thelypteris noveboracensis - New York Fern
Thymus - Thyme
Tiarella - Foam Flower
* Tradescantia - Spiderwort
* Trillium spp. - Wake-Robin
Valeriana - Valerian
* Verbascum sp - Mullein
Veronica latifolia - Hungarian Speedwell
Vinca major - Greater Periwinkle
Viola labridorica - Labrador Violet
* Yucca sp. - Yucca
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Perennial Ground Covers
Aegopodium podagraria - Bishop's Weed
Ajuga reptans - Bugleweed
Asperula oderata (Gallium) - Sweet Woodruff
Convalaria majallis - Lily-of-the-Valley
* Epimedium sp. - Barrenwort
Lamium sp. - Dead Nettle
Pachysandra terminalis - Japanese Pachysandra
Vinca minor - Periwinkle
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Perennial Vines
* Celastrus sp. - Bittersweet
Clematis sp. - Clematis
* Lonicera sp. - Honeysuckle
* Wisteria sp. - Wisteria
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Trees, Shrubs, and Evergreens
* Abies species - Fir
Berberis spp. - Barberry
Berberis vulgaris - Common Barberry
Betula papyrifera - Paper Birch
Betula pendula - European White Birch
Buddleia - Butterfly Bush
* Buxus sempervirens - Common Boxwood
* Calastrus scandens - American Bittersweet
Caryopteris clethra - Blue Beard
* Catalpa bignoniodes - Common Catalpa
* Cercis canadensis - Red Bud
* Clethra - Sweet Pepper Bush
* Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood
* Cornus kousa - Japanese Dogwood
* Cornus sericea - Red Osier Dogwood
Cotinus coggygria - Smoke tree
* Crataegus spp. - Hawthorn
Cytissus spp. - Broom
* Elaeagnus angustifolia - RussianOlive
Enkianthus campanulatus - Redvein Enkianthus
* Fagus sylvatica - European Beech
Forsythia spp. - Forsythia
Ginkgo biloba - Maidenhair Tree
Gleditsia triacanthos - Honey Locust
Hibiscus syriacus - Rose-of Sharon
* Ilex cornuta - Chinese Holly
* Ilex glabra - Inkberry
* Ilex opaca - American Holly
* Juniperus chinensis - Chinese Junipers
* Kalmia latifolia - Mountain Laurel
Kolkwitzia amabilis - Beautybush
Leucothoe fontanesiana - Drooping Leucothoe
* Maclura pomifera - Osage Orange
Myrica spp. - Bayberry
* Picea abies - Norway Spruce
* Picea glauca - White Spruce
* Picea pungens - Colorado Blue Spruce
* Pieris japonica - Japanese Andromeda
* Pinus mugo - Mugo Pine
* Pinus nigra - Austrian Pine
* Pinus resinosa - Red Pine
* Pinus rigida - Pitch Pine
* Pinus sylvestris - Scots Pine
* Prunus serrulata - Japanese Flowering Cherry
* Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa' - Corkscrew Wilow
Sambucus racemosa - Elderberry
* Sassafras albidum - Common Sassafras
* Syringa vulgaris - Common Lilac
Thuja spp. - Arbovitae
Viburnum - Virburnum
* Wisteria floribunda - Japanese Wisteria
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