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. 42 are in stock at a nursery right now — the terracotta price tags go straight to those product pages, not to a search.

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57 of 57 plants

Zones describe winter hardiness. Native ranges vary across North America; open a plant's guide for the details.

Alocasia (Elephant Ear)From $64.95 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)From $17 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.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 $26.33 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.AzaleaRhododendron spp. (deciduous & evergreen)Dappled shade / morning sunModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantBlack LocustFrom $14.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Black LocustRobinia pseudoacaciaFull SunLow waterVERY FAST growthDeer-resistantBleeding HeartFrom $12.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Bleeding HeartLamprocapnos spectabilisPart Shade to ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantBoxwoodFrom $17.95 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)From $19.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Brunnera (False Forget-Me-Not)Brunnera macrophyllaPart Shade to ShadeModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantCaladiumCaladiumCaladium bicolorPart Shade to ShadeModerate waterFast in heat growthDeer-resistantCardinal FlowerFrom $14.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Cardinal FlowerLobelia cardinalisFull Sun to Part ShadeHigh waterModerate growthDeer-resistantCatmintFrom $19.99 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 RootFrom $35.63 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Culver's RootVeronicastrum virginicumFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantDaffodilFrom $13.45 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.DaffodilNarcissus 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 $29.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.English IvyHedera helixPart Shade to Shade outdoorsModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantFalse Indigo (Baptisia)From $15.95 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 TobaccoFrom $4.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Flowering TobaccoNicotiana alata & sylvestrisFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantFoamflowerFrom $35.73 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.FoamflowerTiarella 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 $5.79 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 $19.99 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 $18 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.IronweedVernonia noveboracensisFull SunModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantJapanese BarberryJapanese 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 $24.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Lily of the ValleyConvallaria majalisPart Shade to ShadeModerate waterModerate-Fast growthDeer-resistantMonsteraFrom $15.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.MonsteraMonstera deliciosaBright indirect lightModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantMountain LaurelFrom $101.68 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Mountain LaurelKalmia latifoliaPart Shade / morning sun — like its cousin rhododendronModerate waterSlow growthDeer-resistantMountain MintFrom $4.75 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Mountain MintPycnanthemum muticumFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterFast growthDeer-resistantOregon GrapeFrom $19.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Oregon GrapeMahonia aquifoliumPart Shade to ShadeLow waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantPachysandraPachysandraPachysandra terminalisSHADEModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantPasque FlowerPasque FlowerPulsatilla vulgarisFull SunLow waterSlow growthDeer-resistantPeace LilyFrom $45.95 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 $100.23 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 MasterFrom $4.75 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Rattlesnake MasterEryngium yuccifoliumFull SunLow waterSlow growthDeer-resistantRhododendronFrom $26.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.RhododendronRhododendron catawbiense hybridsDappled / morning sunModerate waterSlow growthDeer-resistantSchefflera (Umbrella Plant)From $59.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Schefflera (Umbrella Plant)Schefflera arboricolaBright indirect — leggy and sparse in low lightModerate waterModerate-Fast growthDeer-resistantSiberian IrisFrom $41.16 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)From $23 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Sweetshrub (Carolina Allspice)Calycanthus floridusFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantTulipFrom $10.95 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.TulipTulipa spp.Full SunLow waterSpring ephemeral growthDeer-resistantTurtleheadFrom $19.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.TurtleheadChelone glabraFull Sun to Part ShadeHigh waterModerate growthDeer-resistantVirginia BluebellsFrom $16.99 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Virginia BluebellsMertensia virginicaPart Shade to Full ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantVirginia SweetspireFrom $25 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Virginia SweetspireItea virginicaFull Sun to Part ShadeModerate waterModerate growthDeer-resistantWild GingerFrom $40.98 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Wild GingerAsarum canadensePart Shade to Full ShadeModerate waterSlow-Moderate growthDeer-resistantWindflower (Anemone)From $37.03 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 $5.20 at a third-party nursery — not a Story Thyme Farms price.Wormwood (Artemisia)Artemisia absinthiumFull SunLow waterFast growthDeer-resistant

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