Plants that Mammals Usually Avoid

Here are some plants that deer, hares, rabbits, and other mammals are known to dislike eating. These species often have bitter tastes, tough or fuzzy textures, strong aromas, or naturally occurring compounds that make them less appetizing—or even mildly toxic—to browsing animals.

The list is not set in stone, however. Mammals can have very different tastes depending on the region, and in some areas, they may learn to eat plants they typically avoid elsewhere. Also, when food is scarce—especially at the end of a harsh winter or in areas where mammal populations are unusually high—even these “resistant” plants may get nibbled.

Still, if the bulk of your gardening is done with the following plants, you’ll greatly reduce the risk of mammal damage. For even better protection, especially with young or newly planted specimens, physical barriers such as fencing or netting may be helpful until plants are well established.

• 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 scandens) zone 3
• 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
• Calla lily (Zantedeschia spp.) zone 8
• Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) zone 3
• Castor bean (Ricinus communis) zone 9
• 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
• Coral bells (Heuchera) zone 4
• Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.) zone 3 to 5, depending on species
• Cotoneaster (Cotoneastre spp.) zone 3 to 9, depending on species
• Crabapple (Crataegus spp.) zone 3 to 6, depending on species
• Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) zone 3
• Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) annual
• Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) zone 4
• Currant, gooseberry (Ribes spp.) zone 3
• Daisy (Leucanthemum spp.) zone 3
• Delphinium or larkspur (Delphinium spp.) annual or zone 3
• Dogwood (Cornus spp.) zone 3
• Dwarf plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)
• 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
• 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 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
• Leek (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum) annual
• Lilac (Syringa spp.) zone 2 to 7, depending on species
• Lilyturf (Liriope spp.) vivace
• Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.) zone 3
• Lupine (Lupinus spp.) zone 3
• Magnolia (Magnolia spp.) zone 4b to 9, depending on species
• 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
• Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) zone 3 to 5, 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
• Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia) zone 5
• 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
• Pasque flower (Pulsatilla spp.) zone 2 to 4, depending on species
• 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
• Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) zone 4
• 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 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
• Silver birch (Betula pendula) zone 2
• Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata) zone 1b
• Smokebush (Cotinus coggyria) zone 5b
• Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) annual
• Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) zone 3
• 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 fern (Comptonia peregrina) zone 3
• Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) zone 4
• Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) zone 4
• 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
• Yew (Taxus spp.) shrub or tree, 2a-4b
• Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) annual

This text was first published on this blog on December 8, 2014. It has been revised and the layout updated.