Gardening Pest & Problem Fixes Garden Pests Top Deer-Resistant Plants for Your Region By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on July 18, 2022 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Laurie Black It's always disappointing when deer munch their way through your carefully-tended garden. While no plant is completely deer-proof, there are definitely some that are lower down on their menu. Depending on where you live, these beautiful plants should have less appeal to deer in your region. 01 of 07 Deer-Resistant Plants for the Northeast Peter Krumhardt Tough winters aren't the biggest challenge that many Northeastern gardeners have to face; the region hosts hordes of hungry deer. However, the critters usually avoid plants such as bee balm, catmint, and Japanese painted fern, so you can garden in peace. Top Deer-Resistant Plants of the Northeast 02 of 07 Deer-Resistant Plants for the Midwest Rob Cardillo From Minnesota to Missouri, countless gardeners have had their landscape dreams dashed by deer. Your best bet for stopping your yard from turning into a buffet is growing tough native plants such as bluestar, coreopsis, lungwort, penstemon, and coneflower. Top Deer-Resistant Plants of the Midwest 03 of 07 Deer-Resistant Plants for the South James Carriere This diverse region, which stretches from Florida into Texas, offers a ton of great garden plants. The trick is to pick varieties that aren't deer favorites, such as bear's breeches, chrysanthemum, crocosmia, goldenrod, and Joe Pye weed. Top Deer-Resistant Plants of the South 04 of 07 Deer-Resistant Plants for the Mountain West & High Plains Dency Kane Plants have to be tough to thrive in the sometimes-arid conditions of the Mountain West and the High Plains. Fortunately, there are several hardy species that won't get mowed down by deer. A few popular choices include ajuga, allium, coralbells, salvia, and yucca. Top Deer-Resistant Plants of the Mountain West & High Plains 05 of 07 Deer-Resistant Plants for the Pacific Northwest Susan Gilmore It may seem like a gardener's paradise, but the Pacific Northwest is also a deer paradise with plenty of lush fodder for them in the landscape. Fortunately, you can make your yard less appealing to deer by growing unappetizing species such as bellflower, foxglove, epimedium, ligularia, and meadow rue. Top Deer-Resistant Plants of the Pacific Northwest 06 of 07 Deer-Resistant Plants for the Desert Southwest Peter Krumhardt It may seem (especially to new gardeners) as if almost nothing grows in this region, and what does is gobbled up by deer. However, there are plenty of options you can grow so deer go elsewhere to do their grazing. Agave, blanket flower, lavender, rosemary, and snow-in-summer are just a few that will do the trick. Top Flowering Shrubs for the Desert Southwest 07 of 07 Deer-Resistant Plants for Southern California Laurie Black People enjoy Southern California's sometimes picture-perfect weather, but so do herds of mule deer. Enjoy a beautiful garden without these four-legged fiends by picking plants they'll pass by, such as California fuchsia, hedgehog cactus, hens and chicks, shasta daisy, and soapwort. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit