Collection · 57

Deer-Resistant Plants

No plant is deer-PROOF — a hungry winter herd will sample anything once — but these 57 plants are the ones deer reliably walk past, for reasons you can actually use: strong aromatic oils (the herbs), toxic or acrid sap (daffodil, hellebore, milkweed), and fuzzy or leathery textures they dislike chewing.

The honest strategy is layered. Front-line beds nearest the woods get the aromatics and the toxics from this list; anything deer love — hostas, tulips, young fruit trees — goes behind them, inside a fence, or in a cage for its first three winters. Resistance also varies with pressure: a plant deer ignore in a mild suburb gets browsed where the herd is dense and the winter hard, so treat this list as strong odds, not a warranty.

The set spans USDA zones 2–12 and every layer of the garden — 21 natives among them — so you can compose a border, not just scatter defenses. 27 of the 57 currently have verified in-stock nursery listings — the terracotta price tags on the cards below link to a checked product page, not a search.

Alocasia (Elephant Ear)From $63.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Alocasia (Elephant Ear)Alocasia × amazonicaBright indirect — no harsh direct sunModerate waterModerate in warmth growthDeer-resistantAmsonia (Bluestar)Amsonia (Bluestar)Amsonia hubrichtiiFull Sun to Light ShadeLow waterSlow to establish growthDeer-resistantAnthurium (Flamingo Flower)Anthurium (Flamingo Flower)Anthurium andraeanumBright indirectModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantArrowhead PlantArrowhead PlantSyngonium podophyllumMedium to bright indirectModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantAzaleaFrom $21.94 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.AzaleaRhododendron spp. (deciduous & evergreen)Dappled shade / morning sunModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantBlack LocustBlack LocustRobinia pseudoacaciaFull SunLow waterVERY FAST growthDeer-resistantBleeding HeartFrom $23.22 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Bleeding HeartLamprocapnos spectabilisPart Shade to ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantBoxwoodFrom $15.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.BoxwoodBuxus spp.Full Sun to Part ShadeLow waterSlow growthDeer-resistantBrunnera (False Forget-Me-Not)Brunnera (False Forget-Me-Not)Brunnera macrophyllaPart Shade to ShadeModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantCaladiumCaladiumCaladium bicolorPart Shade to ShadeModerate waterFast in heat growthDeer-resistantCardinal FlowerFrom $16.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Cardinal FlowerLobelia cardinalisFull Sun to Part ShadeHigh waterModerate growthDeer-resistantCatmintFrom $13.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.CatmintNepeta × faasseniiFull SunLow waterFast growthDeer-resistantCommon MilkweedCommon MilkweedAsclepias syriaca / tuberosaFull SunLow waterFast growthDeer-resistantCornelian Cherry DogwoodCornelian Cherry DogwoodCornus masFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantCulver's RootCulver's RootVeronicastrum virginicumFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantDaffodilDaffodilNarcissus spp.Full Sun to Part ShadeLow waterSpring ephemeral growthDeer-resistantDelphiniumFrom $2.69 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.DelphiniumDelphinium elatumFull SunModerate waterFast in season growthDeer-resistantEnglish IvyFrom $16.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.English IvyHedera helixPart Shade to Shade outdoorsModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantFalse Indigo (Baptisia)From $16.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.False Indigo (Baptisia)Baptisia australisFull Sun to Light ShadeDrought-tolerant · low waterSlow to establish growthDeer-resistantFlowering TobaccoFlowering TobaccoNicotiana alata & sylvestrisFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantFoamflowerFoamflowerTiarella cordifoliaPart Shade to Full ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantFoxgloveFrom $2.69 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.FoxgloveDigitalis purpureaPart ShadeModerate waterRosette year one growthDeer-resistantGolden PothosGolden PothosEpipremnum aureumLow to bright indirect — the most forgiving houseplantLow waterFast growthDeer-resistantGreat Blue LobeliaFrom $23.52 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Great Blue LobeliaLobelia siphiliticaFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantHardy Geranium (Cranesbill)From $16.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Hardy Geranium (Cranesbill)Geranium 'Rozanne' & spp.Full Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantHeartleaf PhilodendronHeartleaf PhilodendronPhilodendron hederaceumMedium to bright indirectModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantHellebore (Lenten Rose)Hellebore (Lenten Rose)Helleborus × hybridusPart Shade to ShadeDrought-tolerant · low waterSlow growthDeer-resistantIronweedFrom $16.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.IronweedVernonia noveboracensisFull SunModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantJapanese BarberryFrom $26.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Japanese BarberryBerberis thunbergiiFull Sun to Part ShadeLow waterModerate growthDeer-resistantLarkspurFrom $2.69 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.LarkspurConsolida ajacisFull SunModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantLilyFrom $2.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.LilyLilium (Asiatic & Oriental)Full SunModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantLily of the ValleyFrom $26.14 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Lily of the ValleyConvallaria majalisPart Shade to ShadeModerate waterModerate-Fast growthDeer-resistantMonsteraMonsteraMonstera deliciosaBright indirect lightModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantMountain LaurelMountain LaurelKalmia latifoliaPart Shade / morning sun — like its cousin rhododendronModerate waterSlow growthDeer-resistantMountain MintMountain MintPycnanthemum muticumFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantOregon GrapeOregon GrapeMahonia aquifoliumPart Shade to ShadeLow waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantPachysandraPachysandraPachysandra terminalisSHADEModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantPasque FlowerPasque FlowerPulsatilla vulgarisFull SunLow waterSlow growthDeer-resistantPeace LilyFrom $33.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Peace LilySpathiphyllum wallisiiMedium to low indirect — blooms more with brighter lightModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantPerennial SalviaPerennial SalviaSalvia nemorosaFull SunLow waterModerate growthDeer-resistantPieris (Andromeda)From $39.33 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Pieris (Andromeda)Pieris japonicaPart Shade / morning sunModerate waterSlow growthDeer-resistantRanunculus (Persian Buttercup)Ranunculus (Persian Buttercup)Ranunculus asiaticusFull SunModerate waterFast in cool weather growthDeer-resistantRattlesnake MasterRattlesnake MasterEryngium yuccifoliumFull SunLow waterSlow growthDeer-resistantRhododendronFrom $24.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.RhododendronRhododendron catawbiense hybridsDappled / morning sunModerate waterSlow growthDeer-resistantSchefflera (Umbrella Plant)Schefflera (Umbrella Plant)Schefflera arboricolaBright indirect — leggy and sparse in low lightModerate waterModerate-Fast growthDeer-resistantSiberian IrisFrom $24.93 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Siberian IrisIris sibiricaFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantSnowdropSnowdropGalanthus nivalisPart ShadeModerate waterSpring ephemeral growthDeer-resistantSolomon's SealSolomon's SealPolygonatum biflorumPart Shade to Full ShadeModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantSummersweetFrom $86.91 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.SummersweetClethra alnifoliaFull Sun to SHADEModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantSweetshrub (Carolina Allspice)Sweetshrub (Carolina Allspice)Calycanthus floridusFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantTulipFrom $114.63 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.TulipTulipa spp.Full SunLow waterSpring ephemeral growthDeer-resistantTurtleheadFrom $32.58 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.TurtleheadChelone glabraFull Sun to Part ShadeHigh waterModerate growthDeer-resistantVirginia BluebellsVirginia BluebellsMertensia virginicaPart Shade to Full ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantVirginia SweetspireFrom $36.79 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Virginia SweetspireItea virginicaFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantWild GingerWild GingerAsarum canadensePart Shade to Full ShadeModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantWindflower (Anemone)From $29.62 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Windflower (Anemone)Anemone coronaria & blandaFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterFast in cool weather growthDeer-resistantWormwood (Artemisia)From $24.23 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Wormwood (Artemisia)Artemisia absinthiumFull SunLow waterFast growthDeer-resistant

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