Deer & Rabbit
Resistant

24 Deer-Resistant Flowers with Beautiful Blooms

Keep your garden from turning into a salad bar by growing these deer-resistant flowers.
By Rita Pelczar
Updated on February 25, 2025
Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Deer are hungry critters. While you’re blissfully sleeping at night, deer wake up with a big appetite, and your garden is at the top of their breakfast list. Deer particularly love hostas, roses, pansies, and tulips, among the prettiest plants in a garden. But they’re also partial to blueberries, so protecting your crop will make sure they’re available for you to snack on rather than the deer. But, to be brutally honest, if the neighborhood herd is hungry enough, deer will eat almost anything. While there are no guarantees that they’ll never nibble the following deer-resistant perennials, they usually turn up their noses and take a pass on these less-tasty, deer-resistant flowers.

Astilbe, Pink Astilbe

Credit: Karlis Grants

In late spring, the feathery plumes of astilbe, which come in shades of white, red, pink, and lavender, add a sophisticated charm to perennial plantings. After the flowers fade, attractive mounds of green or bronze fernlike foliage last through fall.

Plant Name: Astilbe selections
Growing Conditions: Part sun, full sun in cooler regions; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 1 to 6 feet tall, 18 to 48 inches wide, depending on selection
Zones: 4-8

Hellebore

Credit: Richard Hirneisen

This rugged deer-resistant perennial, also called Lenten rose, blooms from winter to spring, depending on your selection. The flowers last for months, and the evergreen umbrella-shaped leaves form attractive mounds.

Plant Name: Helleborus x hybridus
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: 12 to 24 inches tall, 24 to 30 inches wide
Zones: 5-9

Peony

Credit: Karla Conrad

Given their reputation for longevity, it’s not surprising that peonies are a deer-resistant perennial. Grown for their huge red, pink, coral, yellow, or white flowers, they make a spectacular show from early to late spring, depending on selection. Leathery green foliage remains attractive after the flowers fade.

Plant Name: Paeonia selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: 1 to 4 feet tall, 2 to 3 feet wide
Zones: 2-8

Catmint

Credit: Matthew Benson

A workhorse for the sunny perennial border, catmint is both long-blooming and easy to grow. Flowers are usually lavender-blue, but selections with white, pink, or violet blooms are available. Growing wider than tall, its aromatic gray-green leaves blend easily with other sun loving perennials.

Plant Name: Nepeta selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: 1 to 3 feet tall to 4 feet wide
Zones: 3-8

Bluestar, Eastern Bluestar

Credit: Rob Cardillo

An easy-to-grow North American native plant that deserves a lot more attention, bluestar bears clusters of soft, light blue flowers in spring. This clump-forming perennial puts on a show in fall when its willow-shaped foliage turns golden yellow.

Plant Name: Amsonia tabernaemontana
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and wide
Zones: 3-9

Penstemon

Credit Matthew Benson

Penstemons, also called beardtongues, are tough, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant perennials with colorful flowers. Selections vary in size from tiny rock garden plants to upright bloomers for the middle to back of borders. Flower colors run the gamut from soft pastels to fiery reds and deep blues, and hummingbirds love them all.

Plant Name: Penstemon selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil
Size: From 10 inches to 4 feet tall and 6 to 36 inches wide, depending on type
Zones: 4-10, depending on type

Foxglove

Credit: Janet Mesic Mackie

Deer seem to know that foxgloves are toxic, so they steer clear. The bell-shaped flowers that dangle on upright stems come in pastel colors, providing a pleasing vertical accent in the perennial border or cottage garden. Where happy, they often reseed themselves.

Plant Name: Digitalis selections
Growing Conditions: Part shade to sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: 1 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide
Zones: 3-8, depending on type
All parts of this plant are toxic to both animals and people

Coral Bells

Credit: Kindra Clineff

These popular, fast-growing plants are so versatile that they can be planted in a variety of locations, from rock gardens and mixed borders to shade and container gardens. Coral bells do bloom, but they are mostly grown for their rounded or heart-shaped leaves, which come in a wide array of colors and dramatic patterns. In mild climates, they’re often evergreen.

Plant Name: Heuchera selections
Growing Conditions: Sun to shade, depending on selection, and moist, well-drained soil
Size: 1 to 3 feet tall and wide, depending on type
Zones: 4-8

Tickseed

Credit: Marty Baldwin

Also called coreopsis, tickseed is a tough, deer-resistant perennial. This easy-to-grow native plant with a long bloom season bears starry flowers in shades of yellow, pink, or red.

Plant Name: Coreopsis selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: 1 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide
Zones: 3-8

Purple Coneflower, echinacea purpurea coneflower

Credit: Bob Stefko

With its long season of brilliant pinkish-purple blooms, purple coneflower has become a favorite for sunny gardens. New varieties offer white, yellow, orange, and red flowers. A favorite of pollinators and birds, they often reseed themselves.

Plant Name: Echinacea purpurea
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Zones: 3-9

Russian Sage

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

A tall, elegant, deer-resistant perennial, Russian sage bursts forth with feathery wands of violet-purple flowers over masses of silvery foliage. Like many other plants disliked by deer, it bears scented foliage.

Plant Name: Perovskia atriplicifolia
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Zones: 4-9

Salvia

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

There are many types of salvia, so it’s easy to find a good selection for any sunny garden. Most have scented foliage, which deer tend to avoid. Their tubular flowers, which range from bright red to white, pink, blue, and purple, bloom for months and attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Plant Name: Salvia selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: From 1 to 6 feet tall and 1 to 4 feet wide, depending on type
Zones: 3-10, depending on type

Columbine

Credit: Blaine Moats

The dainty petals of columbine are backed by brightly colored spurs, resulting in a delicate yet bold blossom. Mounds of blue-green leaves contribute their own delicate beauty. Available in a wide range of flower colors, columbine is a great choice for the edge of a woodland or a partly shaded border.

Plant Name: Aquilegia selections
Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: From 6 to 36 inches tall and 6 to 24 inches wide, depending on type
Zones: 3-9, depending on type

Thyme

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Thyme is an excellent deer-resistant perennial that’s grown as a ground cover in sunny areas and between steppingstones in pathways or patios. It releases its warm fragrance each time it’s stepped upon, repelling deer.

Plant Name: Thymus selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 12 inches tall and 24 inches wide, depending on type
Zones: 4-9, depending on type

Meadow Rue

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Meadow rue’s lovely foliage resembles its relative, the columbine. Its fringed pink, purple, yellow, or white blooms set it apart, though—they float above the plant and create a soft, frothy texture.

Plant Name: Thalictrum selections
Growing Conditions: Sun (with adequate moisture) to shade, depending on selection, and moist, well-drained soil
Size: From 6 inches to 6 feet tall and 6 inches to 3 feet wide, depending on selection
Zones: 5-9

Bee Balm

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Bee balm is a great attractor of butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. Its bright flowers, with their tubular petals clustered in showy whorls, appear almost all summer long. While the scented leaves are off-putting to deer, they make a delicious tea!

Plant Name: Monarda selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil
Size: 1 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide
Zones: 3-9

Brunnera

Credit: Jacob Fox

Also called Siberian bugloss, this shade-loving, deer-resistant perennial is grown primarily for its large, heart-shaped dark green or variegated foliage that forms attractive mounds. In spring, beautiful clusters of small sky-blue flowers that resemble forget-me-nots appear.

Plant Name: Brunnera macrophylla
Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and wide
Zones: 3-7

Sea Holly

Credit: Matthew Benson

Sea holly is a stiff, thistlelike perennial that has a lot going for it: The blue to lavender flowerheads are surrounded by showy blue bracts. It’s also incredibly deer and rabbit resistant and it takes heat and drought like a champ. It’s a great, long-lasting cut flower, both fresh and dried.

Plant Name: Eryngium selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide, depending on type
Zones: 4-10, depending on type

Lungwort

Credit: David McDonald

The silver-spotted green leaves of lungwort add bold color and texture to the woodland garden. Depending on the selection, flowers may be pink, red, purple, or blue and are among the first woodland blooms to appear in spring. Plants form wide-spreading clumps, making them a good choice for planting beneath shrubs or small trees.

Plant Name: Pulmonaria selections
Growing Conditions: Full to part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide
Zones: 4-8

Epimedium

Credit: Andy Lyons

Epimedium is a reliable deer-resistant perennial and a workhorse for the shade garden. Before the leaves are fully expanded in spring, they often bear dainty clusters of small yellow, white, pink, or lilac flowers. Wiry stems support compound leaves that vary in shape, size, and color; they are evergreen in mild climates. Because they can adapt to dry shade, they’re a good choice for planting beneath shrubs and trees.

Plant Name: Epimedium selections
Growing Conditions: Full to part shade and well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4-9, depending on type

Butterfly Weed

Credit:Kritsada Panichgul

Want to support the monarch butterfly? Here’s your plant! This native perennial will attract lots of butterflies but, fortunately, not deer. It’s easy to grow, drought tolerant, and if it likes its location, it will reseed itself. Its bright orange-yellow flowers appear on sturdy stems in summer.

Plant Name: Asclepias tuberosa
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Zones: 4-9

Crocosmia

Credit: Laurie Black

For a bold splash of color in the summer garden, crocosmia is hard to beat. While its sword-shaped leaves add a good vertical form, they take a back seat to the clusters of bold red (or orange or yellow) flowers in midsummer. This clump-forming perennial gets bigger and better every year, and the flowers are excellent for cutting.

Plant Name: Crocosmia selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 4 feet tall and 1 foot wide
Zones: 5-9, depending on type

Joe Pye Weed

Credit: Jay Wilde

This rugged wildflower is a bold accent for the back of a sunny border. From midsummer to autumn, a dome of pink flowers appears atop tall stems, attracting many pollinators. More compact varieties, such as ‘Little Joe,’ may be better suited to smaller landscapes.

Plant Name: Eutrochium purpureum
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist soil
Size: 2 to 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide depending on selection
Zones: 3-9

Wild Ginger

Credit: Justin Hancock

The heart-shaped leaves of wild ginger grow low to the ground and, depending on selection, can be solid green, marbled, or variegated. While this deer-resistant perennial’s flowers aren’t as showy as some of the other plants in this list, they do have their own subtle beauty. The plant spreads by rhizomes to create a lush, glossy groundcover in woodland gardens.

Plant Name: Asarum selections
Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 6 inches tall and 12 inches wide
Zones: 2-9, depending on type

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Rabbit Resistant Perennials

These Rabbit Resistant Perennials are your best bet if you want the plants in your garden to stay safe from these furry animals!

1. Lavender

Botanical Name: Lavandula spp.
Lavender’s aromatic scent acts as a natural rabbit deterrent. Plant it as a border plant to make a barrier and enjoy its purple blooms throughout the summer.

2. Russian Sage

Botanical Name: Perovskia atriplicifolia
This drought-tolerant perennial thrives in hot, dry conditions and is adored by pollinators while being ignored by rabbits. They don’t like the taste of its leaves and flowers.

3. Yarrow

Botanical Name: Achillea spp.
Yarrow’s feathery foliage and flower clusters make it an excellent addition to cottage gardens and meadow landscapes. Rabbits typically avoid this hardy perennial.

4. Sedum

Botanical Name: Sedum spp.
With its succulent leaves and tolerance for poor soil, sedum is a low-maintenance plant that rabbits tend to bypass. Its late-season blooms provide valuable nectar for pollinators.

5. Catmint

Botanical Name: Nepeta spp.
Cats absolutely love to nibble on this plant but rabbits hate it to the core! These are also a great source of attracting pollinators to your garden. To make a protective barrier, you can grow as a fence plant.

6. Lamb’s Ear

Botanical Name: Stachys byzantina
Lamb’s ear is a drought-tolerant perennial that is not only rabbit-resistant, but is also looks smashing in borders and rock gardens with its silver foliage and flowers.

7. Bee Balm

Botanical Name: Monarda spp.
Favorite of bees and hummingbirds, this easy-growing plant produces pink, red, violet, or white flowers which rabbits do not like to nibble on.

8. Foxglove

Botanical Name: Digitalis purpurea
Toxic to humans and animals, foxglove is disliked by rabbits also. They are best for landscaping wooden gardens and shady borders.

9. Peony

Botanical Name: Paeonia spp.
One of the stunning pink flowers that’s great choice for keeping rabbits away. Known for their huge blooms, you can grow them successfully in sunny spots with well-draining soil.

10. Coneflower

Botanical Name: Echinacea spp.
Coneflowers are not only drought-tolerant and easy to grow but also resistant to rabbit damage. Their beautiful daisy-like flowers attract bees and butterflies.

11. Coreopsis

Botanical Name: Coreopsis spp.
Also known as tickseed, coreopsis fills the garden with its yellow daisy-like blooms. This rabbit-resistant plant tolerates drought conditions well, and grows best in sunny spots.

12. Bleeding Heart

Botanical Name: Dicentra spp.
Popular for its heart-like flowers, bleeding heart is toxic and is avoided by rabbits as well. Consider growing it a places that are away from the pets’ and children’s’ reach.

13. Japanese Anemone

Botanical Name: Anemone hupehensis
This late blooming perennial is another plant on the list of rabbits that they are not fond of. Japanese Anemones also have a great resistance to most insects and diseases, too.

14. Bergenia

Botanical Name: Bergenia spp.
This low-maintenance perennial is both deer and rabbit-resistant and is used as a ground cover or as edged planting. This can be a great addition to create a barrier to any open space in the garden.

15. Balloon Flower

Botanical Name: Platycodon grandiflorus
A fantastic start-like bloom that will stand out in your garden with its royal blue-purple hue is the balloon flower. Don’t worry! Rabbits hate it!

16. Hellebore

Botanical Name: Helleborus spp.
Hellebores are early-blooming perennials that rabbits tend to avoid. Their evergreen foliage provides year-round interest, making them a valuable addition to shade gardens.

17. Coral Bells

Botanical Name: Heuchera spp.
Loved for their colorful foliage and delicate flowers, coral bells are generally left alone by rabbits. Plant them in partial shade for best growth.

18. Black-Eyed Susan

Botanical Name: Rudbeckia spp.
Known for providing long-lasting color from summer to fall, this perennial is also avoided by rabbits to nibble on. For best blooms, make sure it gets plenty of sunlight.

19. Beech Fern

Botanical Name: Phegopteris spp.
With its delicate fronds and tolerance for dry shade, beech fern is a great choice for rabbit-prone areas. Plant it under trees or in shaded borders for a splash of greenery.

20. Bugleweed

Botanical Name: Ajuga reptans
This dense spreading ground-covering is another best option as a rabbit deterrent. Plant it in partial shade for best results and enjoy its low-maintenance beauty year after year.

21. Ornamental Onion

Botanical Name: Allium
Ornamental Onions are magnets to pollinators but they deter rabbits like pros. The reason being, the pungent taste of its leaves and flowers, which these animals hate.

22. Red Hot Poker

Botanical Name: Kniphofia
These come in a variety of warm shades like reds, oranges, and yellows. Rabbits generally steer clear of Kniphofia, making it a great choice for your rabbit-resistant garden.

23. Monkshood

Botanical Name: Aconitum
You might wonder why this plant is resistant to rabbits? The answer is simple—it is poisonous, and that is why rabbits avoid it. Monkshood makes for a great show stopper!

24. Spurge

Botanical Name: Euphorbia
When you cut this plant, you will often see white sap, the reason why rabbits don’t go close to it. Spurge is considered a weed that does best in full sun.

25. Barrenwort

Botanical Name: Epimedium
Rabbits are not fond of its taste, which repels them, making it a worthy mention in the list. Its flowers contrast beautifully with the foliage, making it a must-have in any garden.

26. Larkspur

Botanical Name: Delphinium
Larkspurs are perennials that grow upto 1 to 3 feet tall, and bloom in early summer in blue, purple, white, and pink colors. Rabbits are not fond of these beauties.

27. Lady’s Mantle

Botanical Name: Alchemilla mollis
Commonly known as lady’s mantle, it is a clumping perennial that forms a basal foliage mound of long-stalked, circular leaves. This grows well in full sun and partial shade.

28. Mugwort

Botanical Name: Artemisia
Both Deer and rabbits avoid silver-leaved fuzzy plants, and that is what makes this one’s foliage repel rabbits. Mugwort does well in partial to full sun.

29. Lenten Rose

Botanical Name: Helleborus
These flowers are known to be toxic to humans if ingested in large quantities and this is the same reason why rabbits also keep away from these.

30. False Goat’s beard

Botanical Name: Astilbe
These are small flowering plants with feathery plumes in pink or white atop fern-like foliage. Rabbits don’t like the taste of Astilbe leaves, keeping them away from it.

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