Deer-Resistant Plants for Minnesota Yards: 14 Shrubs Deer Actually Leave Alone

If you live anywhere west of I-494 — Minnetonka, Wayzata, Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Plymouth — you already know: deer pressure in the Twin Cities is real, year-round, and getting worse. Newer subdivisions backed up against parks and wetlands lose entire yards of hosta in a single overnight visit. Burlap-and-spray season starts in November and runs through April.

The good news is that deer have strong preferences, and once you learn what they actually avoid, you can build a beautiful Minnesota yard that they walk past instead of into.

What makes a plant deer-resistant

Deer avoid plants for four main reasons: 1. Strong smell — aromatic foliage and resinous sap (most herbs, junipers, spruce) 2. Tough, leathery, or hairy leaves — anything unpleasant to chew (boxwood, lambs ear, many viburnums) 3. Bitter or milky sap — barberry, spurge, milkweed 4. Thorns or prickles — barberry, hawthorn, sea buckthorn

“Deer-resistant” doesn’t mean deer-proof. In a hard winter when natural browse is buried under snow, a hungry deer will eat plants it normally avoids. Newly planted shrubs are also more vulnerable because their foliage is softer and more aromatic than mature plants.

The 14 best deer-resistant shrubs for Minnesota

1. Boxwood (Buxus spp. — winter-hardy cultivars only)

Stiff, leathery, mildly toxic foliage. Deer essentially never touch it. Stick with proven zone-4 cultivars like ‘Green Velvet,’ ‘Green Mountain,’ and ‘Chicagoland Green’ — older varieties die back in Minnesota winters.

2. Spirea (Spiraea japonica and others)

Lightly aromatic foliage and bitter-tasting young growth keep deer away in most years. Gold Flame, Goldmound, Anthony Waterer, and Magic Carpet are all reliable picks for Minnesota zones 4–5.

3. Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

Sharp thorns, bitter foliage. Deer skip it. (Note: some Minnesota cities discourage barberry due to non-native concerns — check your municipality before planting.)

4. Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

Native, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant. Diabolo, Summer Wine, Coppertina, and Tiny Wine give you color choices.

5. Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa)

Small fragrant leaves, papery yellow or white flowers June–October. Native to Minnesota and almost never browsed.

6. Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)

Technically a sub-shrub. Strong herbal scent and fuzzy gray-green foliage. Deer avoid it completely. Blooms purple July through September — pollinator magnet.

7. Junipers (Juniperus spp.)

Resinous, aromatic, prickly. Common juniper, Eastern red cedar, and creeping juniper are all Minnesota natives and reliably deer-resistant.

8. Black Hills Spruce (Picea glauca ‘Densata’)

Sharp needles, resinous sap. Deer leave it alone except in the worst winters when nothing else is available.

9. Lilac (Syringa vulgaris and others)

Strong fragrance and slightly tough leaves. Lilacs are reliably deer-resistant in Minnesota.

10. Weigela (Weigela florida)

Tougher foliage than its appearance suggests. Cultivars like Wine & Roses, Tuxedo, and Sonic Bloom are deer-resistant and reliably hardy in zone 4.

11. Daphne (Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’)

Variegated foliage, intoxicating spring fragrance, mildly toxic sap. Deer skip it almost universally.

12. Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria)

Big leathery purple or gold leaves. Surprisingly deer-resistant given its lush appearance.

13. Sumac (Rhus typhina and Rhus aromatica)

Aromatic, milky sap. Both staghorn sumac (large, dramatic) and fragrant sumac ‘Gro-Low’ (groundcover) are Minnesota natives that deer leave alone.

14. Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)

Aromatic, waxy berries (the source of bayberry candle wax). Tolerates poor soil, salt, and deer.

What about arborvitae?

Deer love arborvitae. Both Techny and Emerald Green are favorites in the western suburbs. If you’ve planted a privacy hedge of arborvitae in Minnetonka, Wayzata, or Chanhassen, plan on spraying repellent (Bobbex or Plantskydd) every 4–6 weeks October through April, or wrap with deer netting for the first 2–3 winters. After that, browsing only takes the lower branches and the screen stays intact.

If you haven’t planted yet and deer pressure is severe, swap arborvitae for Black Hills spruce, ninebark, or red cedar. All three give you screening without the deer buffet.

What about hosta?

Deer love hosta even more than arborvitae. If you’ve got hosta in deer country, you have three options: (1) spray repellent every 2–3 weeks May through October, (2) build a 7-ft deer fence, or (3) replace with deer-resistant shade plants like astilbe, brunnera, ferns, hellebore, or lungwort. None look quite like hosta, but you’ll actually get to see them in the morning.

A realistic deer-resistant border

For a Minnesota front-yard border that deer will walk past, layer: - Back: Black Hills spruce or ninebark for height - Middle: lilac, weigela, or smokebush for flowering interest - Front: boxwood, spirea, or potentilla as a clean structural foreground - Filler: Russian sage, catmint, or yarrow for color and pollinators

This is the planting structure we use most often in western-suburb installs.

FAQ

My neighbor swears deer ate their barberry. What gives? In bad winters or where deer populations are extreme, “deer-resistant” becomes “deer-tolerant.” Browsing on supposedly deer-resistant plants almost always happens November through March when natural browse is buried. Repellent spray during winter solves it.

Does Bobbex or Plantskydd actually work? Yes, when applied consistently. The mistake people make is one-and-done. Both products need re-application after heavy rain or snowmelt and every 4–6 weeks otherwise.

What about coyote urine, predator scents, motion lights? Mixed results. Repellent spray is more reliable. Physical barriers (fencing, netting) are most reliable.

Are any flowers deer-resistant in Minnesota? Yes — daffodils, alliums, peonies, catmint, salvia, lamb’s ear, lavender, and Russian sage are all deer-resistant. Tulips are deer candy. Day lilies are deer salad. Plan accordingly.

Plant a deer-resistant yard

Browse our deer-resistant collection or pair with our guide to Best Privacy Shrubs for Minnesota — we’ve flagged the deer-resistant picks there too.