36 Best Deer-Resistant Perennial Plants

What Attracts Deer to Your Garden?

Deer are attracted to gardens for various reasons, including the availability of food, shelter, and water. Here are some common things that may attract deer to your garden:

1. Food: Deer are herbivores and love to eat a variety of plants, including flowers, vegetables, and fruits. They are particularly drawn to gardens that have tender young shoots and plants that are easy to access. You may want to consider planting deer-resistant plants to help deter them.
2. Shelter: Deer are often attracted to areas where they can find cover or shelter from predators. Gardens that are surrounded by wooded areas or have thick shrubs and bushes are more likely to attract deer.
3. Water: Like all animals, deer need access to water to survive. If you have a water source in your garden, such as a pond or fountain, it may attract deer.
4. Seasonal changes: During the fall and winter, deer are often attracted to gardens that have fruit or nut-bearing trees, such as apple trees, acorns, or hazelnuts.
5. Scent: Deer have a keen sense of smell and are often drawn to the scent of certain plants. For example, they are known to be attracted to the smell of roses and other fragrant flowers.

To deter deer from your garden, you may want to consider installing fencing, using repellents or netting or planting deer-resistant plants. It’s important to note that no method is foolproof, and deer can be persistent and adaptive, so it may require a combination of methods to keep them away.

Perennial Plants that Deer Hate and Will Avoid

Some perennial plants are less attractive or even unpalatable to deer. They contain natural chemical deterrents that make them less appealing, emit a strong scent that deer find offensive, or are distasteful.

Here is the list of deer-proof perennial plants.