Laidback Gardener Tip of the Day

Plants that Mammals Usually Avoid

Here are some plants that deer, hares, rabbits and other mammals are known to dislike eating. The list is not set in stone, however. On one hand, mammals can have very different tastes from one region to another and it is possible that in some they learn to eat things they won’t eat elsewhere. Also, a mammal will eat almost anything when it is starving, as sometimes happens at the end of a very hard winter or when its local population is excessive. However, if the bulk of your gardening is done with the following plants, you should be well on your way to not having to worry about mammal damage!

Aconite, monkshood (Aconitum spp.) zone 3

Allium, garlic (Allium spp.) zone 2 to 8, depending on species

American beech (Fagus grandifolia) zone 4

Amsonia (Amsonia spp.) zone 4

Anemone (Anemone spp.) zone 3 to 6

Ash (Fraxinus spp.) zone 2b to 7, depending on species

Astilbe (Astilbe spp.) zone 4

Baneberry (Actaea spp.) zone 2

Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.) zone 3

Bellflower (Campanula spp) zone 3 to 7, depending on species

Bergenia (Bergenia spp.) zone 3

Betony, lamb’s ear (Stachys spp.) zone 3 to 8, depending on species

Bittersweet (Celastrus spp.) zone 3

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) zone 4b

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) annual or zone 3

Bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.) zone 3

Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) zone 4

Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) zone 4

Borage (Borago officinalis) annual

Boxwood (Buxus spp.) zones 4 to 9

Brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla) zone 3

Bugbane (Cimicifuga spp.) zone 4

Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) zone 6b

Calla lily (Zantedeschia spp.) zone 8

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) zone 3

Clematis (Clematis spp.) zone 2 to 9, depending on species

Columbine (Aquilegia spp.) zone 3

Common heather (Calluna vulgaris) zone 4

Cotoneaster (Cotoneastre spp.) zone 3 to 9, depending on species

Crabapple (Crataegus spp.) zone 3 to 6, depending on species

Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) zone 3

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) annual

Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) zone 4

Currant, gooseberry (Ribes spp.) zone 3

Daisy (Leucanthemum spp.) zone 3

Dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis) zone 4

Delphinium or larkspur (Delphinium spp.) annual or zone 3

Dogwood (Cornus spp.) zone 3

Dusty miller (Centaurea cineraria or Senecio bicolor) annual

Elm (Ulmus spp.) zone 2 to 5, depending on species

Enkianthua (Enkianthus spp.) zone 5b to 9, depending on species

Euonymus (Euonymus spp.) zone 4 to 7, depending on species

Euphorbia, spurge (Euphorbia spp.) annual or zone 3 to 10, depending on species

February daphne (Daphne mezereum) zone 3

Ferns (most species) zone 1 to 10, depending on species

Flossflower (Ageratum houstonianum) annual

Forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.) zone 3 to 4, depending on species

Forsythia (Forsythia spp.) zone 4 to 7, depending on species

Fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) zone 5b

Foxglove (Digitalis spp.) zone 4

Gaillardia (Gaillardia spp.) annual or zone 3

Geranium (Geranium spp.) zone 4

Golden marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria) zone 3

Hardy everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) zone 3

Hardy sage (Salvia spp.) zone 3 to 10, depending on species

Hazel (Corylus spp.) zone 2 to 6, depending on species

Helenium (Helenium spp.) zone 3

Hellebore (Helleborus spp.) zone 5

Holly (Ilex spp.) zone 4b to 9, depending on species

Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule) zone 3

Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) zone 4

Iris (Iris spp.) zone 3 to 8, depending on species

Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata) zone 5

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) zone 4

Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica) zone 5b

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) zone 6a

Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium spp.) zone 3

Juniper (Juniperus spp.) zone 1 to 7, depending on species

Kalimeris (Kalimeris pinnatifida) zone 4

Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) zone 3

Lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) zone 3

Lantana (Lanata camara) zone 9

Lavander (Lavandula angustifolia) zone 5

Lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) zone 7

Lilac (Syringa spp.) zone 2 to 7, depending on species

Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) zone 4

Loosestrife (Lysimachia spp.) zone 3

Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.) zone 3

Lupine (Lupinus spp.) zone 3

Magnolia (Magnolia spp.) zone 4b to 9, depending on species

Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) zone 4 to 6, depending on variety

Manitoba maple (Acer negundo) zone 2

Mauve (Malva spp.) zone 3 to 8, depending on species

Meadow rue (Thalictrum spp.) zone 2 to 6, depending on species

Meadowsweet, queen of the prairire (Filipendula spp.) zone 3

Mint (Mentha spp.) zone 2 to 8, depending on species

Monarda, beebalm (Monarda spp.) zone 3

Morning glory (Ipomoea spp.) annual

Mountain bluet, perennial bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea montana) zone 4

Mountain laurel (Kalmia spp.) zone 1 to 8, depending on species

Muscari, grape hyacinth(Muscari spp.) zone 2 to 6, depending on species

Narcissus, daffodill (Narcissus spp.) zone 3 to 7, depending on species

Nepeta, catmint (Nepeta spp.) zone 4

Oleander (Nerium oleander), zone 8

Onion (Allium cep a) treated as annual

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) zone 5

Oregon-grape (Mahonia spp.) zone 5 to 9, depending on species

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) zone 2

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) zone 3

Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) zone 3

Pincushion flower (Scabiosa spp.) annual or zone 3

Pine (Pinus spp.) zone 2 to 8, depending on species

Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) annual

Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) zone 4

Prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) zone 3 to 9, depending on species

Pumpkin, squash (Cucurbita spp.) annual

Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) zone 4b

Red valeriane (Centranthus ruber) zone 3

Rhododendron (evergreen types) (Rhododendron spp.) zone 2 to 10, depending on species

Rose (spiny types) (Rosa rugosa, R. spinosissima, etc.) zone 4 to 7, depending on species

Rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) zone 3

Rosmary (Rosmarinus officinalis) zone 8

Rue anemone (Anemonella thalictroides) zone 4

Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) zone 2b

Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) zone 4b

Sage (Salvia officinalis) zone 5

Sedum (Sedum spp.) zone 2 to 10, depending on species

Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) zone 2

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) zone 2

Silver birch (Betula pendula) zone 2

Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata) zone 1b

Smokebush (Cotinus coggyria) zone 5b

Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) annual

Soapwort (Saponaria oxymoides) zone 3

Spirea (Spirea spp) zone 2 to 7, depending on species

Spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum) zone 2

Spruce (Picea spp.) zone 1 to 7

Summer snowflake (Leucojum spp.) zone 4

Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) zone 4

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) zone 4

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) zone 3

Thyme (Thymus spp.) zone 3 to 8, depending on species

Tiarella (Tiarella spp.) zone 3

Tradescantia (Tradescantia x andersoniana) zone 4

Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) zone 4b

Verbena (Verbena spp.) annual

Viburnum (Viburnum spp.) zone 2 to 8, depending on species

Winter heather (Erica carnea) zone 5b

Winter savory (Satureja montana), zone 4

Wisteria (Wisteria spp.) zone 4b to 9, depending on species

Wormwood, sagewort (espèces argentées) (Artemisia spp.) zone 2 to 8, depending on species

Yarrow (Achillea spp.) zone 3

Yellow corydalis (Corydalis lutea) zone 3

Yellow waxbells (Kirengeshoma spp.) zone 3 to 4, depending on species

Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) annual