While deer are beautiful creatures, they can be a pest to the home gardener!
Deer Habitat and Preferences
Deer prefer to live on the edge of forested areas where they can find food and protection from predators. While in more rural environments, deer tend to eat native plants, corn, grains and alfalfa. In urban areas, their food source becomes your yard
and garden.
They prefer younger, more tender plants over older woody ones; however, they will eat almost anything.
If you have a mix of plants that they like and dislike, they will often trample the less preferred plants to get to the tastier ones.
Recommended Plants to Keep Deer Out of your Garden
Below is a listing of plants we have available at our garden centers that deer dislike.
Annuals
- Ageratum - Partial Sun
- Cleome - Full to Partial Sun
- Cosmos - Full to Partial Sun
- Dahlia - Full Sun
- Dusty Miller - Full to Partial Sun
- Geranium - Full to Partial Sun
- Heliotrope - Full to Partial Sun
- Hypoestes - Partial Sun
- Lantana - Full Sun
- Marigolds - Full Sun
- Snapdragon - Full to Partial Sun
- Sweet Alyssum - Partial Sun
- Verbena - Full to Partial Sun
- Wax Begonia - Partial Shade
- Zinnia - Full Sun
Perennials
- Ajuga – Part Sun
- Aster – Full Sun
- Bleeding Heart - Shade
- Butterfly Weed – Full Sun
- Columbine – Full to Partial Sun
- Dianthus – Full Sun
- Gaillardia – Full Sun
- Foxglove – Part Shade
- Heuchera – Part Shade
- Lamium – Shade
- Purple Coneflower – Full Sun
- Sedum – Full Sun
- Yarrow – Full Sun
