Deer Resistant Plants

Deer resistant plants are shrubs, perennials, grasses and a few succulents that deer usually pass over, chosen by scent, texture or taste rather than by looks alone. This page mixes azalea, camellia, agapanthus, boxwood (Buxus), barberry (Berberis), butterfly bush (Buddleja), rockrose (Cistus) and manzanita (Arctostaphylos) in 1 to 15 gallon containers, for California yards near foothills, canyons or open ground where deer pressure is real.

None of these plants are deer proof. A hungry deer in a dry year browses far more than its usual list, and a young plant with soft new growth is at more risk than an established one regardless of species. Treat the rating as a way to shift the odds in a garden's favor, not a guarantee, and protect anything newly planted until it has hardened off. Pair beds with decomposed granite for a low water, low maintenance planting near open land.
Jump to:
Products Buying Guide Related FAQ
Grown by California nurseriesShrubs, perennials & grasses1 to 15 gallon containers
Jump to: Products • Buying Guide • Related • FAQ
Skip to results list

Filters

70 items

Filter

Common uses

Where the plants on this page usually go, and what to browse next.

A first line along open ground

Rockrose, barberry and artemisia planted along the edge nearest open foothill or canyon land take the brunt of deer traffic before it reaches beds closer to the house.

Shrubs

A deer resistant pollinator bed

Agapanthus and yarrow bring bee and butterfly visits to a deer resistant bed without the tender growth that draws deer in for a closer look.

Perennials

Structure with less browsing risk

Boxwood keeps a clipped, formal hedge line where a softer flowering shrub would draw more attention from deer passing along the same route each season.

Ornamental Grasses

A low water bed near open land

Rockrose and manzanita share the same low water needs as the rest of a xeriscape planting, which suits the dry, undeveloped ground many deer resistant beds sit next to.

Xeriscape Plants

Deer Resistant Plants Buying Guide

How to choose, what to check before you order, and how plant orders are delivered.

Deer resistant plants are species deer usually leave alone, based on a scent, fuzzy or leathery texture, or a taste deer find unpleasant, rather than a hard rule that no deer will ever touch them. This page carries deer resistant shrubs such as camellia, boxwood, barberry and rockrose alongside deer resistant perennials like agapanthus and yarrow, plus a handful of ornamental grasses and succulents, in 1 to 15 gallon containers. Deer pressure is heaviest near foothill and canyon edges and other open ground, where herds pass through a yard on their normal route rather than visiting once. Match the plant to how much pressure your specific property actually sees.

What deer resistant really means

A deer resistant rating means deer usually skip a plant when better food is around, not that the plant is chemically off limits or physically impossible for a deer to eat. Scent is the biggest factor: rockrose, artemisia and butterfly bush all carry strong aromatic oils that deer find unpleasant in normal conditions. Texture plays a role too, since the leathery leaves on camellia and the fine, silvery foliage on artemisia are less appealing to browse than a soft, tender shrub. None of that holds up against a truly hungry deer, which is the gap between a rating on a tag and what actually happens in a drought year.

Foothill and canyon yards see the most pressure

A yard backing onto open foothill, canyon or undeveloped ground sees far more deer traffic than one in a fully built subdivision, since deer move along the same paths repeatedly rather than making a single visit. In a normal year with enough wild forage available, deer resistant shrubs like camellia, boxwood and barberry mostly get left alone in these settings. In a dry year when the usual browse dries up or burns, deer widen what they will eat, and even reliably resistant plants can take damage. Yards in Rosamond's high desert edges and Central Valley foothill communities should plan for that swing rather than assume one good year predicts the next.

Protecting young plants after they go in the ground

A newly planted deer resistant shrub or perennial is at more risk than the same species once it matures, since fresh, tender growth is easier to browse than the tougher, more aromatic foliage a plant develops with age. Wrap or cage new plantings for the first season, especially anything planted in fall or winter when wild forage is thinnest. Once a plant hardens off, most species on this page settle into their rating and need less ongoing protection.

  • Cage or wrap new plantings for the first growing season
  • Watch drought years more closely than normal years
  • Plant deer resistant species in the outer rows nearest open ground
  • Keep a few reliably resistant plants, such as rockrose or artemisia, near the edge

Mixing shrubs, perennials and grasses for a full bed

This page spans shrub, perennial, ornamental grass and succulent categories, which makes it possible to build a full bed rather than a single deer resistant hedge. Boxwood or barberry gives structure at the back or along a property line, agapanthus and yarrow add seasonal color in front, and a grass such as feather reed grass fills the gap between them with movement. Several of these, including agapanthus and camellia, also draw pollinators or hummingbirds, so a deer resistant bed does not have to trade away wildlife value to keep deer out. See perennials for more flowering options at the same water need.

Need Help?

(800) 215-7372

FAQ

Deer resistant means deer usually pass over a plant in favor of something more appealing, based on scent, texture or taste, not that the plant is physically safe from every deer in every situation. Strongly scented plants like rockrose and artemisia, and leathery leaved shrubs like camellia, tend to hold up best under normal browsing pressure. The rating shifts the odds toward a plant surviving deer traffic; it does not remove the risk entirely, especially for a young plant or in a dry year.

Boxwood, barberry, rockrose and butterfly bush are among the deer resistant shrubs on this page best suited to foothill and canyon edges, where deer traffic follows regular routes through open ground into a yard. Strongly scented shrubs such as rockrose tend to hold up better under steady pressure than a shrub chosen mainly for looks. Even a reliably resistant shrub benefits from protection in its first season, since deer browse young, tender growth more readily than mature foliage.

Yes, agapanthus and yarrow are deer resistant perennials on this page that also draw bees and butterflies while in bloom, so a deer resistant bed does not have to give up pollinator value. Their strap-like or fuzzy foliage and flower scent are part of what keeps deer away, while the open flower clusters still hold nectar pollinators can reach. Mixing a few different bloom times keeps color, and pollinator visits, going across more of the season.

Yes, a hungry deer in a drought year browses far more than its usual list, including plants normally rated deer resistant, once wild forage dries up or burns off. Rockrose, artemisia and other strongly scented shrubs hold up better than most under that pressure, but no plant on this page is truly deer proof once deer run out of other food. Expect more browsing in dry years and consider temporary protection on anything you cannot afford to lose.

Yes, a newly planted deer resistant shrub or perennial is more vulnerable than the same species once established, since fresh new growth is softer and more appealing than mature, more aromatic foliage. Cage or wrap plants for at least the first growing season, especially anything planted in fall or winter when wild browse is thinnest. Once a plant hardens off and builds its full leaf structure, most species on this page settle into their normal deer resistant behavior.

Some are. Agave on this page is generally left alone by deer thanks to its tough, fibrous leaves and sharp tips, which make it uncomfortable to browse compared to a soft shrub or perennial nearby. Succulents are a smaller part of this deer resistant mix than shrubs and perennials, since most of the deer resistant plants sold here fall into those two categories instead. Check the feature list on each product page rather than assuming every succulent carries the rating.

Planning a larger planting?

Send the plant list, sizes and your ZIP and we will confirm delivery and price it before you order.

Call (800) 215-7372

Deer resistant plants for California drought years

Drought years change what deer will eat far more than any single plant choice does, since a widespread dry season pushes deer into browsing well past their usual list once wild forage in the hills thins out or burns. Rockrose, artemisia and other strongly scented shrubs on this page tend to hold their deer resistant reputation better than most under that pressure, largely because scent keeps working even when a deer is hungrier than normal. A drought year is also when a young, recently planted deer resistant shrub is most at risk, since tender new growth stands out against dry, tough native brush nearby. Plan on temporary fencing or wrap for new plantings through the first dry season rather than assuming last year's calm behavior will repeat.

Plants deer won't eat near a vegetable garden

No plant on this list is a guaranteed answer for keeping deer away from a nearby vegetable bed, but a dense planting of rockrose, barberry or boxwood along the approach a deer would normally take can discourage a casual pass through. Deer tend to avoid pushing through a thick, unfamiliar hedge if an easier route around it exists, which is different from the plant itself being inedible. A physical barrier such as fencing around the actual vegetable bed still does more than any planting choice, with deer resistant shrubs working as a secondary layer rather than the main defense.

Delivery & Pickup

Deer Resistant Plants Delivery Across California & the Southwest

Order deer resistant plants for pickup at our Central Valley or Antelope Valley yards, or bulk delivery throughout California — plus Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado. Tell us your ZIP and project and we will quote a delivered price.

Central Valley Visalia Yard 30617 Co Hwy J25, Goshen, CA 93227 Yard details › Antelope Valley Rosamond Yard 1387 Sierra Hwy, Rosamond, CA 93560 Yard details ›

Central Valley

Visalia · Fresno · Bakersfield · Tulare · Clovis · Hanford

Antelope Valley & High Desert

Lancaster · Palmdale · Santa Clarita · Victorville · Tehachapi

Southern California

Los Angeles · Riverside · San Bernardino · San Diego

Nevada, Arizona & Colorado

Las Vegas · Phoenix · Tucson · Denver

See all delivery areas Call (800) 215-7372 for a quote