Ill.: pvzcc.fandom.com, owips.com & www.pngix.com, montage: laidbackgardener.com
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 in one area they won’t eat elsewhere. Also, a mammal will eat almost anything when it’s starving, as sometimes happens at the end of a very hard winter or when its local population is too high. 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.) perennial
- Allium, garlic (Allium spp.) perennial or herb
- Amsonia (Amsonia spp.) perennial
- Anemone (Anemone spp.) perennial
- Anise (Pimpinella anisum) annua herb
- Anise hyssop (Agastache spp.) perennial or annual
- Ash (Fraxinus spp.) tree
- Astilbe (Astilbespp.) perennial
- Autumn crocus (Colchicum spp.) bulb
- Baneberry (Actaeaspp.) perennial
- Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.) perennial
- Basket of gold (Aurinia saxatilis) perennial
- Bayberry (Myrica spp.) shrub
- Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) shrub
- Beech (Fagus spp.) tree
- Bellflower (Campanula spp.) perennial, annual or biennial
- Bergenia (Bergenia spp.) perennial
- Betony, lamb’s ear (Stachys spp.) perennial
- Bittersweet (Celastrus spp.) climbing plant
- Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) tree
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) annual or perennial
- Bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.) perennial
- Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) grass
- Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) grass
- Borage (Borago officinalis) annual herb
- Box elder (Acer negundo) tree
- Boxwood (Buxus spp.) shrub
- Broom (Cytisus spp.) shrub
- Brugmansia (Brugmansia spp.) annual or tropical shrub
- Brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla) perennial
- Bugbane (Cimicifuga spp.) perennial
- Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) perennial
- Bush cinqfoil (Dasiphora fruticosa, anc. Potentilla fruticosa) shrub
- Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) shrub
- Cactus (various genera) succulent
- Calla lily (Zantedeschia spp.) tender bulb
- Carex (Carex spp.) grass
- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) perennial herb
- Clematis (Clematis spp.) climbing plant or perennial
- Columbine (Aquilegia spp.) perennial
- Common heather (Calluna vulgaris) shrub
- Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster spp.) shrub
- Crabapple (Crataegus spp.) tree
- Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) perennial
- Crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) bulb
- Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) vegetable
- Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) perennial
- Currant, gooseberry (Ribes spp.) shrub
- Daisy (Leucanthemum spp.) perennial
- Dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis) biennial
- Daphne (Daphne spp.) shrub
- Delphinium (Delphinium spp.) perennial
- Dogwood (Cornus spp.) shrub, tree or perennial
- Drooping leucothoe (Leucothoe fontaneisana) shrub
- Dusty miller (Centaurea cineraria or Senecio bicolor) annual
- Elm (Ulmus spp.) tree
- Enkianthua (Enkianthus spp.) shrub
- Euonymus (Euonymus spp.) shrub
- Euphorbia, spurge (Euphorbia spp.) annual, perennial, shrub or succulent
- False indigo (Baptisia spp.) perennial
- Ferns (most species) fern
- Flossflower (Ageratum houstonianum) annual
- Foam flower (Tiarella spp.) perennial
- Forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.) biennial
- Forsythia (Forsythia spp.) shrub
- Fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) grass
- Foxglove (Digitalis spp.) biennial or perennial
- Gaillardia (Gaillardia spp.) annual or perennial
- Geranium (Geranium spp.) perennial
- Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) perennial
- Golden marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria) perennial
- Hardy everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) perennial
- Hardy sage (Salvia spp.) perennial
- Hazel (Corylusspp.) shrub or tree
- Helenium (Helenium spp.) perennial
- Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) annual or tropical shrub
- Hellebore (Helleborus spp.) perennial
- Holly (Ilexspp.) shrub
- Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) perennial herb
- Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) herb perennial
- Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule) perennial
- Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) grass
- Iris (Iris spp.) perennial or bulb
- Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema spp.) perennial
- Japanese andromeda (Pieris japonica) shrub
- Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata) tree
- Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) shrub
- Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’) grass
- Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) grass
- Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica) shrub
- Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) tree
- Jerusalem sage (Phlomis spp.) perennial or shrub
- Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium spp.) perennial
- Juniper (Juniperus spp.) conifer
- Kalimeris (Kalimeris pinnatifida) perennial
- Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) tree
- Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) perennial
- Lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) perennial
- Lantana (Lanata camara) annual or tropical shrub
- Larkspur (Consolida spp.) annual
- Lavander (Lavandula angustifolia) herb
- Lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) herb
- Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) herb perennial
- Ligularia (Ligularia spp.) perennial
- Lilac (Syringa spp.) shrub
- Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis) perennial
- Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) tree
- Loosestrife (Lysimachia spp.) perennial
- Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.) perennial
- Lupine (Lupinus spp.) perennial
- Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus rosea) annual
- Magnolia (Magnolia spp.) tree
- Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) grass
- Meadow rue (Thalictrum spp.) perennial
- Meadowsweet, queen of the prairie (Filipendula spp.) perennial
- Mint (Mentha spp.) herb
- Monarda, beebalm (Monarda spp.) perennial
- Morning glory (Ipomoea spp.) annual
- Mountain bluet, perennial bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea montana) perennial
- Mountain laurel (Kalmia spp.) shrub
- Muscari, grape hyacinth (Muscari spp.) bulb
- Narcissus, daffodill (Narcissus spp.) bulb
- Nepeta, catmint (Nepeta spp.) perennial
- Nicotiana, flowering tobbacco (Nicotiana spp.) annual
- Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) grass
- Oleander (Nerium oleander) shrub
- Onion (Allium cepa) vegetable
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare) herb
- Oregon-grape (Mahonia spp.) shrub
- Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) perennial
- Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) tree
- Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) biennial herb
- Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) perennial
- Pincushion flower (Scabiosa spp.) annual or perennial
- Pine (Pinus spp.) conifer
- Plum yew (Cephalotaxus spp.) conifer
- Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) annual
- Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) grass
- Prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) succulent
- Pumpkin, squash (Cucurbita spp.) vegetable
- Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) shrub
- Red valeriane (Centranthus ruber) perennial
- Rock-cress (Arabis caucasia) perennial
- Rose (spiny types) (Rosa rugosa, R. spinosissima, etc.) shrub
- Rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) perennial
- Rosmary (Rosmarinus officinalis) herb
- Rue (Ruta officinalis) perennial herb
- Rue anemone (Anemonella thalictroides) perennial
- Rush (Juncus effusus) grass
- Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) tree
- Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) perennial
- Sage (Salvia officinalis) herb
- Sedum (Sedumspp.) perennial
- Shrubby cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa, syn. Potentilla fruticosa) shrub
- Siberian cypress (Microbiota decussata) conifer
- Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) bulb
- Silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) tree
- Silver birch (Betula pendula) tree
- Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata) shrub
- Skimmia (Skimmia japonica) shrub
- Smokebush (Cotinus coggyria) shrub
- Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) annual
- Snowdrop (Galanthus spp.) bulb
- Soapwort (Saponaria oxymoides) perennial
- Spiderflower (Cleome spp.) annual
- Spirea (Spirea spp) shrub
- Spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum) perennial
- Spruce (Piceaspp.) conifer
- Statice (Limonium spp.) perennial or annual
- Strawflower (Helichrysum spp.) annual
- Summer snowflake (Leucojum spp.) bulb
- Sweet alyssum (Ligularia maritima) annual
- Sweet flag (Acorus spp.) perennial
- Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) perennial
- Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grass
- Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) herb
- Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) perennial herb
- Thyme (Thymusspp.) herb
- Tradescantia (Tradescantia x andersoniana) perennial
- Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) shrub
- Verbena (Verbena spp.) annual
- Viburnum (Viburnum spp.) shrub
- Wild ginger (Asarum spp.) perennial
- Winter heather (Erica carnea) shrub
- Winter savory (Satureja montana) herb
- Wisteria (Wisteria spp.) climbing plant
- Wormwood, sagewort (silver-leafed species) (Artemisia spp.) perennial or shrub
- Yarrow (Achillea spp.) perennial
- Yellow corydalis (Corydalis lutea) perennial
- Yellow waxbells (Kirengeshoma spp.) perennial
- Yucca (Yucca spp.) perennial or shrub
- Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) annual
It is probably more important for the wildlife to read this list than for us to read it. Deer seem to think that the list of plants that they are not supposed to eat is actually a menu.
Well, as you say, there are regional exceptions to your list. Here, in western NY, at least a dozen of these plants are regularly demolished or heavily pruned by the deer and sometimes the rabbits. As the first commenter noted, young plants are especially vulnerable. I’ve pretty much given up the battle.
Unfortunately as a former bunny owner I can vouch that there is very little that a bunny wont try and eat and mine would eat all herbs and vegetables except onions and asparagus. They were especially fond of strawberry, raspberry and black berry leaves. Free range pet bunnies will even climb if the branches are low enough to reach to nab apples and buddleia! Wild rabbits are a bit more sensible but they will still have a go at most young trees so need to protect them at the bottom, even Yew (not toxic to rabbits). I think often the best defence is to protect very young plants (they don’t like older leaves) and exclusion although baby bunnies can even climb chicken wire fences.