Bambi sure is cute but so destructive. But don’t give up, you still can have a garden by selecting plants that deer will leave alone. Deer dislike plants with strong scents and taste, and with textures that are hairy or not smooth such as Beebalm. Deer resistant plants include ones with thorns and some grasses with thin leaf blades.
Below is a list of deer resistant Missouri native plants — but remember, no plant is “fool proof,” and what works for you might not work for a neighbor. We also recommend a variety of products, including Plantskydd, Bobbex, and Repellex. For descriptions of these plants visit our Deer Resistant Plants Guide >>> or our Missouri Native Plant Guide >>>
FERNS
Adiantum pedatum (maidenhair fern)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
GRASSES, SEDGES, RUSHES
Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem)
Carex annectens (yellowfruit sedge)
Carex muskingumensis (palm sedge)
Carex stricta (tussock sedge)
Juncus effusus (soft rush)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)
Sporobolus heterolepis (prairie dropseed)
PERENNIALS
Achillea millefolium (yarrow)
Agastache nepetoides (giant hyssop)
Allium stellatum (fall glade onion)
Amsonia ciliata (feathery blue star)
Amsonia illustris (shining blue star)
Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed)
Asclepias viridis (spider milkweed)
Coreopsis tinctoria (plains coreopsis)
Delphinium exaltatum (tall larkspur)
Eryngium yuccifolium (rattlesnake master)
Erysimum capitatum (western wallflower)
Helenium autumnale (autumn sneezeweed)
Hibiscus lasiocarpos (woolly rose mallow)
Iris cristata (dwarf crested iris)
Iris virginica (blue flag iris)
Monarda bradburiana (bradbury beebalm)
Physostegia virginiana (obedient plant)
Pycnanthemum pilosum (hairy mountain mint)
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (slender mountain mint)
Pycnanthemum virginianum (mountain mint)
Salvia azurea (blue salvia)
Scutellaria incana (hoary skullcap)
Scutellaria ovata (heart-leaved skullcap)
Sedum ternatum (wild stonecrop)
Senecio obovatus (round-leaved groundsel)
Senna marilandica (wild senna)
Verbena canadensis (rose verbena)
Verbesina helianthoides (yellow wingstem)
