Top 20 Deer Resistant Perennial Flowers to Keep Your Garden Beautiful and Safe

Deer love to eat gardens. How can they resist the tender green plants that taste so sweet? You’ll find them in rural gardens and suburban yards as well. As much as we love watching these graceful creatures, we don’t appreciate their appetite for our tender plants. You're not alone if you've struggled with wildlife munching away at your hard-earned plants. But here's the good news: you don't need to sacrifice beauty to keep deer at bay! In this article, we'll share 20 deer-resistant perennial flowers you can grow from seed. These resilient blooms will brighten your landscape year after year and save you the hassle of constantly replanting or worrying about deer damage.

Deer can be voracious eaters. They’ve grown accustomed to people in suburban settings and aren’t easily deterred. There are ways to limit their access to your garden and scare them away.

Although deer will eat almost anything, especially when there is a lack of something better, there are flowers they will avoid because of taste and smell.

If deer are a problem in your garden, add these flowers so you can enjoy their blooms without sharing them with the deer.

Perennial flowers give you the added benefit of coming back year after year. With these deer-resistant varieties, you can grow a beautiful flower garden that won’t be munched to the ground.

Is it any surprise that lavender is at the top of our list? Renowned for its soothing fragrance and purple flowers, lavender's strong scent keeps deer at a distance. Lavender also has many valuable uses inside your home.

With their tall, sword-like leaves and elegant flowers, irises are toxic to deer, which ensures their survival in a garden.

Also known as echinacea, coneflower is a valuable medicinal herb and a resilient plant. Coneflowers have daisy-like blooms and spiky centers that deer tend to avoid.

Known for its fern-like leaves and clusters of small flowers, yarrow's strong aroma makes it deer-resistant. There are many varieties of yarrow, and they come in various colors.

These delicate, nodding flowers come in a variety of colors, and their toxicity keeps them safe from deer. Their blossom shape is perfect for attracting hummingbirds. Fall and winter are great times to plant spring-blooming columbine.

This vibrant, daisy-like flower in warm tones is drought-tolerant and deer-resistant. I’ve watched a mass planting of blanket flowers remain untouched all summer, even though the deer often walk by.

With cheerful yellow daisy-like flowers, coreopsis (tickseed) thrives in poor soil, and its tough leaves deter deer. Coreopsis has a long blooming season, making it a popular choice for wildflower gardens.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is generally considered deer-resistant. Its rough, hairy leaves and stems make it less appealing to deer, though deer may still nibble on it in times of food scarcity. This hardy perennial features bright yellow, daisy-like flowers with dark centers, and it thrives in sunny conditions, making it a great addition to a deer-resistant garden. It also attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies while being relatively low-maintenance.

Milkweed or Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is deer-resistant. The plant contains a milky sap that is toxic and unpalatable to deer. Milkweed is also highly valued for attracting pollinators, particularly monarch butterflies, as it serves as a host plant for monarch caterpillars. This makes it an excellent choice for a garden that aims to support wildlife while being less appealing to deer.

The unique tall spikes of fuzzy purple flowers make Liatris a beautiful and deer-resistant flower. Liatris is a hardy, drought-tolerant native of North America and can be used in cut flower arrangements.

Bright white petals surround a yellow center, and the slightly bitter taste of Shasta daisies keeps deer away. These are one of our easiest flowers to grow from seed.

Known for their large, tissue-like flowers in bold colors, poppies’ slightly toxic nature makes them unappetizing to deer. Oriental poppies are perennial as well as self-sowing. Once you have a section of poppies, they’ll come back year after year.

Also known as Nettle Leaf Horsemint, this native wildflower grows in western North America. It is a member of the mint family and has a strong scent. Horsemint leaves are also used for medicinal purposes.

This native flower in the southwest is known for its striking blue spires. Blue sage is a low-maintenance perennial that thrives in sunny spots and resists deer due to its aromatic foliage.

This wildflower is also known as Bee Balm and Wild Bergamot. Monarda is a fragrant herb that blooms with spiky flowers in pinks and purples. Monarda's scent and texture make it unappealing to deer. Plant monarda with yarrow and coneflowers.

A fragrant, low-growing herb that doubles as ground cover, thyme's aromatic oils make it unappealing to deer. Creeping thyme is drought tolerant and can be planted on rocky slopes and other challenging growing locations.

This low-growing perennial likes moist soil and afternoon shade. English daisies spread with rhizomes and self-seeding and can become a beautiful carpet of flowers.

Lupines are a cool weather flower. Although a short-lived perennial, they make an excellent cut flower while also being deer-resistant. Growing lupine plants also has the added benefit of improving your garden by fixing nitrogen in the soil.

This tough, drought-tolerant plant produces violet-blue flowers and aromatic foliage that repels deer while inviting pollinators. Your cats will also appreciate your catmint plants.

Although an annual in cold climates, Sweet Alyssum can be grown as a perennial in warmer growing zones. This ground-hugging plant is covered in tiny white or purple flowers, and its mildly spicy scent keeps deer at bay.

We do have to follow up this list with a caveat: We cannot control wild animals. There are times when their behavior is surprising. When food is abundant, deer are less likely to eat things that are not appealing. However, there are times when they seem to be eating everything they can find. Even in a suburban neighborhood, deer can be prevalent.

However, planting this wide range of beautiful deer-resistant perennial flowers will ensure a vibrant garden without being overly attractive to curious deer. From fragrant herbs like lavender to bold poppies, these plants offer both resilience and stunning visual appeal. With choices ranging from easy-to-grow Shasta Daisies to pollinator-friendly Milkweed, you can design a garden that thrives year after year without worrying about deer damage.

Ready to get started? Plant these gorgeous, deer-resistant perennial flowers from seed with ease by shopping at Sow Right Seeds! Our collection of heirloom, non-GMO seeds offers the perfect solution for gardeners looking to create a stunning, wildlife-friendly garden. Start growing today and enjoy a garden that’s beautiful, sustainable, and naturally protected from deer.