Locations

Yard Waste
Recycling Center
Navigation

Deer and Rabbit Resistant Plants

Deer and rabbits will eat almost anything when food is scarce, but choosing deer and rabbit-resistant plants can help reduce browsing and damage in your landscape. Some plants are naturally less appealing to these garden visitors because of their smell, taste, texture, or toxicity.

The plants listed below are considered deer and rabbit-resistant and are generally avoided under most circumstances. However, no plant is completely deer- or rabbit-proof, and feeding habits may change depending on the season, available food sources, and local wildlife populations.

 

 

R = High Rabbit Resistance

D = High Deer Resistance

Rabbit sniffing purple petunias in a flower pot on a stand
Two deer foraging in a lush garden surrounded by flowers and greenery

Ground Covers

Close up of deep purple ajuga foliage with glossy texture

Ajuga

Climbing hydrangea with white lacecap blooms and green foliage

Climbing Hydrangea

English ivy with glossy lobed green leaves

English Ivy R

Hardy plumbago with vivid blue flowers and green foliage among stones

Hardy Plumbago R

Lamium with soft pink blooms and silver green foliage

Lamium

Liriope with variegated foliage and purple flower spikes

Liriope D

Pachysandra groundcover with glossy green foliage

Pachysandra

Sedum with rounded pink flower clusters and green foliage

Sedum R

Sweet Woodruff

Deer standing in a field of yellow wildflowers with a leaf in its mouth

Annuals

Ageratum with fluffy blue purple flower clusters

Ageratum

Double flowered pink begonias with soft yellow centers

Begonia R

Colorful patio bougainvillea trees in nursery containers

Bougainvillea R

Colorful dianthus blooms in shades of pink red and white

Dianthus D

Heliotrope

Fresh basil rosemary and thyme herbs growing in a container

Most Herbs D

Lantana flowers in vibrant yellow pink and orange clusters

Lantana

Pink hollyhock blooms with yellow centers on tall green stalks

Hollyhock R

Close up of beacon bright red impatiens flower with dark green leaves

Impatiens R

Purple lobelia flowers in full bloom with delicate green foliage

Lobelia

Fireball french marigolds blooming in shades of red orange and yellow in a ceramic pot

Marigold D

Pink and purple salvia blooming in a garden bed

Salvia D

Cluster of bright magenta verbena flowers in full bloom

Verbena

Lavender vinca minor myrtle flowers with glossy green foliage

Vinca

Bright yellow zinnia flowers in full bloom

Zinnia D

Brown rabbit standing alert in dewy grass

Did you know, rabbit’s teeth never stop growing?
As the rabbit chews on grasses, wildflowers and vegetables they’re gradually worn down so they never get too long.

Perennials/Vines

Clusters of pink red and yellow milly rock trio yarrow flowers

Achillea

Acorus with vibrant yellow and green variegated grass like foliage

Acorus D

Agastache flowers with vibrant coral pink tubular blooms and green foliage

Agastache D

Allium

Amsonia D

Anemone

Aralia D

Artemisia

Marsh milkweed with clusters of rose pink flowers and a butterfly perched on top

Asclepias D

Aromatic aster covered in purple daisy like blooms in a garden setting

Aster

Asclepias D

Baptisia

Bergenia in bloom with clusters of pink flowers and bold green foliage in a decorative pot

Bergenia

Heart shaped silver brunnera leaves with dark green veining

Brunnera

Calamint D

Campanula D

Candy Tuft (Ibiris)

Variegated carex sedge with arching green and cream bladed foliage

Carex (Sedge) D

Centaurea D

Clematis

Columbine R

Coreopsis D

Bright pink daylily flowers with yellow throats blooming in a garden

Daylily R

Delphinium

Colorful dianthus blooms in shades of pink red and white

Dianthus D

Pink heart shaped dicentra flowers hanging over bright chartreuse foliage

Dicentra D

Echinacea D

Epimedium

Euphorbia

Ferns D

White tubular blooms of foxglove beardtongue clustered on upright stems in a meadow

Foxglove

Gaillardia

Deep red geranium flower in bloom with ruffled petals and green foliage

Geranium

Goat’s Beard

Helenium D

Helleborus

Hen & Chicks

Watermelon ruffles hardy hibiscus with bold ruffled pink blooms

Hibiscus R,D

Large blue green hosta leaves with rippled edges in a shaded garden

Hosta R

Hyacinth

Iris R,D

Kniphofia with vibrant orange flower spikes and grassy foliage in a garden setting

Kniphofia R,D

Lady’s Mantle

Lavender R,D

Liatris D

Ligularia with bold green foliage and tall yellow flower spikes in a shade garden

Ligularia D

Lily of the valley with white bell shaped flowers and green leaves

Lily-of-the-Valley

Purple lobelia flowers in full bloom with delicate green foliage

Lobelia R,D

Creeping jenny trailing from a container with vibrant chartreuse foliage

Lysimachia R,D

Monarda D

Monkshood

Nepeta calamint with dense clusters of soft lavender blue flowers

Nepeta

Ornamental Oregano D

Penstemon R

Peony

Platycodon

Hardy plumbago with vivid blue flowers and green foliage among stones

Plumbago R

Polemonium jacobs ladder with clusters of lavender blue flowers and fern like foliage

Polemonium D

Poppy

Evening primrose with yellow and white blooms nestled among green foliage

Primrose

Pulmonaria with spotted leaves and pink and blue bell shaped flowers

Pulmonaria

Tall spikes of purple blue russian sage flowers with silvery green foliage

Perovskia D

Salvia/Sage

Scabiosa

Sedum with rounded pink flower clusters and green foliage

Sedum R

Shasta Daisy R

Silene

Snow-on-the-Mountain

Soapwort R

Stachys

Stoke’s Aster

Tiarella plant with white flower spikes and green foliage marked with burgundy

Tiarella

Thyme D

Vernonia

Spikes of bright pink veronica speedwell flowers in bloom

Veronica

Wisteria D

Adams needle yucca with tall white flower spikes and sword like green and yellow leaves

Yucca

Shrubs

Red leaf barberry shrub with vibrant crimson foliage

Barberry

Barberry D

Beautybush covered in arching branches with soft pink bell shaped flowers

Beauty Bush

Green velvet boxwood shrubs in a neatly rounded dense formation

Boxwood R

Butterfly bush with bright magenta flower spikes and green foliage in garden

Butterfly Bush

Low growing cotoneaster shrub with small white blooms and dense green foliage

Crotoneaster

Crape myrtle tree with bright pink blooms against a backdrop of green foliage

Crape Myrtle D

Redtwig dogwood with bright red stems standing out in a snowy landscape

Dogwood, Redtwig D

Crape Myrtle D

Forsythia shrub blooming with vibrant yellow flowers in early spring

Forsythia D

Fothergilla shrub with white bottlebrush blooms and green foliage in spring garden bed

Fothergilla D

Blu princess holly with clusters of red berries and dark green spiny leaves

Holly R

Endless summer hydrangea with large pink blue and purple blooms in full flower

Hydrangea R

Juniper keteleeri with dense pyramidal green foliage in a landscape setting

Juniper R

Japanese kerria shrub with bright yellow flowers and lush green foliage

Kerria

Lilac tree with dense clusters of fragrant purple blooms against a clear blue sky

Lilac D

Spirea

Pieris Japonica

Goldfinger potentilla shrub with bright yellow flowers and green foliage

Potentilla

Golden vicary privet shrub with bright yellow foliage in a front yard landscape

Privet D

Flowering quince shrub with vibrant coral pink blossoms and glossy green leaves

Quince

Rose of sharon shrub with vibrant magenta blooms in a mulched garden bed

Rose of Sharon

Goldmound spirea with golden yellow foliage and clusters of pink flowers

Spirea D

Weigela shrub with deep pink tubular flowers and dark foliage

Weigela D

Korean spice viburnum shrub with clusters of fragrant white blooms and green foliage

Viburnum

WitchHazel D

Ornamental Grasses

Bamboo

Blue Fescue

Feather Reed

Fountain

Japanese Silver

Northern sea oats with drooping flat seed heads and bamboo like green leaves

Northern Sea Oats

Pampas

Switch grass with tall upright green blades and airy pink tinged flower plumes

Switch

Trees

Ash tree with a wide spreading canopy in a grassy field under a blue sky

Ash

Whitespire birch tree with golden yellow fall foliage and white bark

Birch D

Close up of brilliant red chokeberry with vibrant red berries and fiery fall foliage

Chokeberry D

White Fringetree in full bloom with cascading white flowers

Fringetree

Ginkgo biloba tree with golden fall foliage in a park setting

Ginkgo

Goldenraintree tree in bloom with bright yellow flower clusters and rounded canopy

Golden Rain D

Skyline honeylocust tree with light green foliage in a residential yard

Honeylocust D

Saucer magnolia tree blooming with large pink and white flowers

Magnolia D

Red sunset maple tree with vibrant red autumn foliage in a residential yard

Red Maple

Massive Keele Oak tree with wide trunk and sprawling green canopy

Oak

Tall pine tree with layered branches reaching into a bright blue sky

Pine

Dawn redwood tree with fiery orange red fall foliage

Redwood, Dawn

Autumn brilliance serviceberry tree with white spring blossoms

Serviceberry D

Dense Black Hills Spruce tree with pyramidal shape in a field setting

Spruce R

Sweetgum tree with brilliant red and orange fall foliage in a grove

Sweetgum R

Corkscrew willow tree with twisted branches and green foliage

Corkscrew Willow R

More Articles on Gardening for Wildlife

Follow us!

author avatar
Suburban Lawn & Garden
See Full Bio
← Return