Unveil the Best Kept Secret for Deer-Resistant Landscaping
Deer can cause significant damage to your garden, but cultivating groundcovers that are unappealing to deer can help prevent browsing damage. Plants with prickly or hairy stems, a strong scent, or fuzzy hairs are typically avoided by deer, adding a charming touch to your landscape. Here are some excellent options for both sunny and shady gardens, all featuring attractive foliage and many being robust spreaders, so choose your planting site wisely.
Lamb’s Ear
Known for its soft, silvery-white, fur-like hairs covering oval leaves, lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) is a deer deterrent. This plant sends out creeping stems that root easily into the soil, forming a dense mat. While it can be aggressive when mixed with other perennials, it is simple to remove from unwanted areas and withstands visits from deer.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 8-18 inches tall, 2-3 feet wide
Zones: 4-9
Creeping Sedum
With fleshy leaves that have a bitter taste disliked by deer, sedum (Hylotelephium spp.) comes in various shapes and colors. Ranging from needle-like to paddle-shaped, the leaves can be bright green, chartreuse, soft blue or gray-green, or deep burgundy, with some variegated options. While upright sedum varieties are great for borders, creeping sedums work well as groundcovers in sunny spots.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; well-drained to dry soil
Size: 2-10 inches tall, 18-48 inches wide
Zones: 3-10
Ajuga
Ajuga, or bugleweed (Ajuga reptans), forms a dense mat of glossy, crinkled foliage under trees and shrubs. The leaves can be green, burgundy, or variegated with pink or cream splashes, with blue flowers appearing on stems in late spring to early summer. Ideal for low-maintenance groundcover in spacious areas where it can spread freely.
Growing Conditions: Part shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 2-6 inches tall, 5-18 inches wide or more
Zones: 3-10
Thyme
Thyme (Thymus spp.) is a fragrant, deer-resistant perennial suitable for groundcover in sunny locations or between stepping stones. Its aromatic scent released when stepped on is unappealing to deer.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
Size: 2-12 inches tall, 12-24 inches wide, depending on type
Zones: 4-9
Licorice Plant
Featuring thin trailing stems and leaves with a scent reminiscent of licorice, the licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare)
Groundcovers for Shade Gardens in California
Sweet Woodruff – Bob Stefko
Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) features bright green leaves with an airy appearance, ideal for shady areas. It spreads quickly, serving as an alternative groundcover under trees. The mildly fragrant leaves help deter deer.
Growing Conditions: Full or part shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 12-24 inches wide
Zones: 4-9
Wild Ginger – Julie Mikos
Wild ginger (Asarum spp.) showcases heart-shaped leaves close to the ground, coming in various shades of green. While its flowers are subtle, they add a delicate beauty. This plant spreads through rhizomes, creating a lush groundcover in woodland gardens. Both native and non-native varieties are deer-resistant.
Growing Conditions: Shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 6-18 inches wide
Zones: 2-9
Lungwort – Carson Downing
Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.) features silver-spotted green leaves that provide color and texture to woodland gardens. Its flowers, ranging from pink to blue, are among the first to bloom in spring. These plants form wide-spreading clumps, making them an excellent choice as groundcover beneath shrubs or small trees.
Growing Conditions: Full to part shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 1-2 feet wide
Zones: 3-8
Epimedium – Marty Baldwin
Also known as barrenwort, epimedium is a deer-resistant perennial that thrives in shade gardens. Before fully expanding in spring, it bears small flowers in various colors. With wiry stems supporting compound leaves, this plant is evergreen in mild climates. Its ability to adapt to dry shade makes it suitable for planting as groundcover beneath shrubs and trees.
Growing Conditions: Full to part shade; well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 1-3 feet wide
Zones: 4-8
Pachysandra – Denny Schrock
Deer tend to ignore pachysandra, making it a reliable evergreen groundcover. Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) features year-round green leaves, with white spring flowers that emit a deterrent scent to deer. The native Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) is similar but less aggressive in spreading.
Growing Conditions: Full to part shade; rich, well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 12-18 inches wide, spreading by rhizomes
Zones: 4-9
(Note: Japanese pachysandra is considered invasive in parts of the Northeast.)
Wintergreen – Denny Schrock
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumb
Perennial Spotted Deadnettle is a tough plant that adds a delicate touch and a pop of color when planted beneath shrubs or along walkways.
Full to partial shade; requires rich, well-drained soil
**Size:** 6-12 inches tall, 1-5 feet wide
**Zones:** 3-8
Spotted deadnettle can spread rapidly under optimal conditions but is easily managed. This plant has escaped cultivation in much of the Northeast, where it is considered invasive.
Plumbago, also known as leadwort, is a low-growing perennial with vibrant green foliage that transitions to red and bronze in the fall, along with deep blue flowers from mid- to late summer. Deer-resistant and tough, plumbago is drought-tolerant and fast-growing without being invasive.
**Growing Conditions:** Sun to partial shade; well-drained soil
**Size:** 6-12 inches tall, 12-18 inches wide, spreads through rhizomes
**Zones:** 5-9
Lilyturf, useful as groundcover or edging, provides a grass-like texture in both sunny and shaded areas. This perennial features tufts of green or variegated leaves that persist through winter, sprouting small blue or white flowers in the summer. While deer-resistant, lilyturf may be browsed by deer when food is scarce but usually recovers without lasting harm.
**Growing Conditions:** Sun, partial shade, shade; well-drained soil
**Size:** 12-24 inches tall and wide, spreads via rhizomes
**Zones:** 5-10
Creeping Juniper, with its prickly aromatic foliage, deters deer. This evergreen plant’s low-growing branches are well-suited for rocky slopes and as groundcover in sunny shrub beds or along retaining walls. Resilient to drought and coastal conditions, creeping juniper thrives in challenging environments.
**Growing Conditions:** Full sun; well-drained soil
**Size:** 1-1.5 feet tall, 8-10 feet wide
**Zones:** 3-9
Bearberry, loved by bears and birds for its fruit, is a native woody groundcover rarely grazed by deer. With small, oval evergreen leaves and wide-spreading branches, bearberry displays white or pink blossoms in spring, yielding bright red berries thereafter.
**Growing Conditions:** Full sun; sandy, well-drained soil
**Size:** 4-12 inches tall, 3-6 feet wide
**Zones:** 2-6
Brass Buttons, a wide-spreading native of New Zealand, features low-growing fern-like leaves in various shades of green, with bright yellow button-like blooms. Ideal for planting between pavers or in containers, this plant spreads quickly through rhizomes, necessitating containment to prevent unwanted expansion.
**Growing Conditions:** Full sun to
In the foreground of a perennial border, consider adding creeping phlox as it is resistant to both deer and rabbit foraging. This versatile plant thrives in full sun to part shade and can adapt to various soil conditions, even poor soil. It typically grows 4 to 12 inches tall and spreads 12 to 24 inches wide, suitable for Zones 5-9.
Perennial geraniums, also known as cranesbill, are another excellent addition to your garden. These easy-to-grow plants come in a variety of flower colors and leaf shapes, with some varieties even showcasing attractive fall foliage. Flower colors range from pink, purple, blue, to white and bloom from early spring to fall. Deer are deterred by the scent and texture of geranium foliage. They prefer full sun to part shade and average, well-drained soil. Perennial geraniums typically grow 6 to 12 inches tall and spread 6 to 48 inches wide, suitable for Zones 3-9.
If you’re looking for a native groundcover that deer and rabbits tend to avoid, consider Pennsylvania sedge. This plant grows in tufts, forming loose colonies in shady gardens. Its narrow, grass-like leaves add a fine-textured appearance, arching gracefully. Pennsylvania sedge spreads by rhizomes and is commonly used as a lawn alternative, though it doesn’t tolerate heavy foot traffic. Ideal for underplanting trees and shrubs, this groundcover thrives in part to full shade and well-drained to dry soil. It typically grows 6 to 12 inches tall and wide and is suitable for Zones 3-8.
