If your yard backs up to a park, lake, or wooded corridor in Maple Grove, Plymouth, Bloomington, or Eden Prairie, you have a deer problem. A herd can strip a young hedge bare in one winter night. The trick isn't fighting them — it's planting things they don't like to eat. Here are 12 plants suburban Twin Cities deer leave alone.
Evergreens (the foundation)
1. Spruce (Colorado Blue, Black Hills, dwarf cultivars)
Deer leave spruces alone — the stiff needles are unpalatable. Any of our spruce varieties are safe bets.
2. Russian Cypress
Low-spreading evergreen, deer-resistant, drought-tolerant. Great groundcover for sunny banks.
3. Mugo Pine (any cultivar)
Deer rarely touch any pine, and our 10+ Mugo Pine cultivars stay small enough for foundation plantings without growing into the house.
4. Junipers (Sky Rocket, Grey Owl, Taylor)
Universally deer-resistant. Aromatic foliage and stiff needles deter browsing.
Shrubs
5. Boxwood (Green Velvet, Green Mountain)
Hardy zone 4 boxwoods are deer-resistant year-round. Use for low formal hedges or foundation plantings.
6. Potentilla "Goldfinger"
Yellow flowers all summer, deer ignore it, drought tolerant once established. The toughest little shrub in our catalog.
7. Russian Sage
Lavender flower spikes, silver foliage, aromatic — everything deer hate. Bonus: pollinators love it.
Perennials
8. Bee Balm (Wild Bergamot)
Native, aromatic, and deer ignore it completely. Lavender flowers all summer.
9. Russian Sage (covered above, but worth repeating)
Pairs with anything. Tough as nails. Deer just walk past.
10. Lamb's Ear
Fuzzy silver foliage. Deer don't like the texture or taste.
11. Salvia
Aromatic, herbaceous, completely deer-resistant. Long bloom season.
12. Ornamental Grasses (Little Bluestem, Karl Foerster)
Deer leave most ornamental grasses alone. They add winter interest and movement to suburban yards.
What deer WILL eat (avoid in deer-pressure yards)
- Hostas (deer candy)
- Arborvitae (especially in winter when other food is scarce)
- Yew
- Tulips and crocus
- Daylilies
If you want any of these in a high-deer area, plan to fence or use deterrents.
The "deer-resistant" reality check
"Deer-resistant" doesn't mean "deer-proof." A starving deer in February will eat anything. The plants above are simply the LAST things deer go for. In a normal year, with normal food availability, they'll be left alone.
Browse our full Deer-Resistant collection for everything we recommend for high-pressure yards.
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