10 Deer Resistant Plants for Ohio

When designing landscaping for our customers, we are frequently asked about which plants are deer resistant. While it may be enjoyable to see deer in your yard, it’s not enjoyable when they eat all of your plants. Many people look to install plants that are more deer resistant. The following list is a compilation of popular plants that are deer resistant in Ohio. This is not an exhaustive list - just ten of our favorites, and our customer favorites!

1. Lavender 
Lavender is a beautiful, bushy perennial. It bears small, blue-violet flowers on spikes with blue-green needle-like foliage. A member of the herb family, the oils on the flowers provide pleasant aroma. Lavender is commonly used for culinary and medicinal purposes. The strong scent provided by the plant scares away deer, making this a great deer resistant option to add to your garden! Not only are they deer-resistant, but they are also mosquito and fly repellant. 

2. Sage 
Sage is another bushy perennial, much like lavender. An herb as well, the smell of sage deters deer from consuming the plant. Sage is easy to grow and maintain. 

3. Bleeding Hearts 
Bleeding hearts are a pretty and unique plant. The pinkish reddish flower that blooms is in the shape of a heart that looks like it is bleeding. Bleeding hearts are a perennial that grows well in shade. The plant is toxic to deer, so deer are sure to avoid it. 

4. Peonies 
Peonies produce a strong, flowery aroma. While most humans think the scent is extremely pleasant, peonies smell bad to deer. The flowers themselves are large and can vary in color. Peonies are another low-maintenance option that add so much beauty to an outdoor space!

5. Purple coneflower 
Purple coneflowers, also known as echinacea, are a popular plant among pollinators. Its spiny center makes it difficult for deer to eat the plant. Not only that, but the fragrance makes it unappealing to deer.

6. Osmanthus
Osmanthus is a plant with very spiny, holly-like leaves. Deer don’t like the spiny leaves, so avoid the plant. The flowers produce a powerful scent that is similar to a magnolia or gardenia. Osmanthus typically grow pretty slow, but live for a long time. They are easy to grow, but prefer full sun to light shade.

7. Boxwood 
Boxwoods are an easy to maintain plant that stays green all year long. They come in a large variety of shapes and sizes. All parts of the Boxwood plant are toxic to humans and most animals. Deer also prefer more tender broad leaf plants like hostas, so they will choose those and other evergreens to boxwoods. 

8. Juniper 
Junipers are diverse. There are many subspecies and can vary from a small shrub to a large tree. Overall, junipers are an option that provides great screening, and privacy. They are a member of the cypress family, and have a strong aroma, bitter taste, and sharp needles. Deer tend to ignore plants with these characteristics. 

9. Spirea
Spirea is a flowering shrub that produces small white to mauve colored flowers. It is known to excrete salicylic acid, an ingredient used to make wintergreen oil. The wintergreen scent deters deer.  

10. Little bluestem grass 
Little bluestem grass is an ornamental grass. It is a perennial that will grow 2-4 feet tall. It’s easy to grow. Because of the nature of the leaves, deer tend to avoid the grass. 
While these are typically all plants that deer avoid, it must be said that there are times when deer get desperate. If there are not other sources of food around, they may have to resort to consuming one of the plants above for survival. 
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For a more thorough list, check out this publication.