12 Beautiful Bulbs Deer and Rabbits Won't Eat

Don't let deer, rabbits, or other hungry critters ruin your spring show. They don't find these bulbs particularly appetizing (but, of course, no plant is completely safe), so the spring flowers these bulbs produce will provide you with a beautiful display of color.

01 of 12

Daffodil

narcissus romance daffodil
Peter Krumhardt

One of the most recognizable bulbs, the daffodil is also among the easiest to grow. Most gardeners know the cheery golden-flowering types, but keep an eye out for extra-special varieties that offer blooms in shades of orange, pink, red, and white, like these 'Romance' daffodils. Almost all pests will leave this bulb alone due to its pungent smell—and it's toxic if ingested.

Name: Narcissus selections

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 30 inches tall

Zones: 4-8

Buy It: Narcissus 'Dutch Master' (White Flower Farm)

02 of 12

Crown Imperial

Yellow crown imperial Fritillaria imperialis 'Lutea'
Peter Krumhardt

One of spring's most dramatic blooming bulbs, crown imperial looks a bit like a pineapple wearing a Hawaiian shirt: The colorful red, yellow, or orange flowers are topped by a crown of narrow, pointed leaves. All parts of the crown imperial repel hungry wildlife and smell like skunk, so you may want to position this bulb at the back of the border.

Name: Fritillaria imperialis

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 4 feet tall

Zones: 5-8

03 of 12

Siberian Squill

blue blooming siberian squill flowers
Bob Stefko

Offering some of the best colors of the spring, the true-blue flowers of Siberian squill are first rate. This adaptable bulb spreads quickly and is great for planting in your lawn for a carpet of no-maintenance blue color in early spring. Siberian squill contains an alkaloid that animals avoid.

Name: Scilla siberica

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 6 inches tall

Zones: 2-8

Buy It: Siberian Squill 50-Bulbs (The Home Depot)

04 of 12

Allium

pink allium flowers
Greg Ryan

It's tough to have a favorite allium because there are so many wonderful choices. Most offer globe-shaped blooms in shades of white, pink, yellow, and purple. Because alliums are related to onions, their leaves have a similar smell that acts as an animal deterrent. Try planting some at the front of garden borders, or surrounding tender lily bulbs to discourage troublesome critters.

Name: Allium selections

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet tall

Zones: 5-8

05 of 12

Hyacinth

Purple Perennial Flowers grown from bulbs
Peter Krumhardt

With its large flower spikes and sweet fragrance, a hyacinth is one of the most eye-catching spring bulbs you can plant. Its strong scent seems to be what makes it unappealing to deer and rabbits. In addition, the bulbs themselves are poisonous to squirrels and other bulb diners, so they'll avoid digging them up. The flowers come in a variety of colors from blue, pink, and purples to yellow, cream, and white.

Name: Hyacinthus orientalis

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 12 inches tall

Zones: 4-8

Buy It: Fierce Mix Hyacinth Bulbs (Longfield Gardens)

06 of 12

Grape Hyacinth

grape hyacinths growing in field
Justin Hancock

A favorite spring bulb for many gardeners, grape hyacinth flowers resemble an upside-down cluster of grapes. The tiny blue, purple, white, or yellow bell-shape blooms appear in tight clusters in early spring. Offering up a sweet scent of grape bubblegum and a punch of color, these shorter bulbs are most striking when planted in large clusters near the front of a border.

Name: Muscari armeniacum

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil

Size: Up to 8 inches tall

Zones: 4-8

Buy It: 250 Muscari Grape Hyacinth Bulbs (Longfield Gardens)

07 of 12

Bluebells

light purple spanish bluebell flowers
Andre Baranowski

Perfect for providing color and contrast to the woodland garden, bluebells produce hanging clusters of blue blooms. If you're looking for more color contrast, you can even find pink- or white-flowering varieties of this bulb. Bluebells thrive under trees or shrubs or in shady plantings alongside other spring-blooming bulbs. Not all deer are averse to bluebells, and many will eat the leaves if not the flowers.

Name: Hyacinthoides hispanica

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 18 inches tall

Zones: 3-8

Buy It: Spanish Bluebells Mix (White Flower Farm)

08 of 12

Dogtooth Violet

Trout lily
Andy Lyons

A charming woodland plant, dogtooth violet bears lily-shaped flowers in shades of white, cream, yellow, and pink. Many selections also offer speckled foliage. Native to North America, this tiny spring bloomer tucks well into shade gardens, woodland plantings, and shaded areas of rock gardens where it will gracefully greet spring.

Name: Erythronium grandiflorum

Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 6 inches tall

Zones: 3-8

Buy It: Erythronium 'Pagoda' (White Flower Farm)

09 of 12

Checkered Lily

close up of fritillary flower
Bob Stefko

The charming, intricate flowers of checkered lily never fail to impress. As the name suggests, the purple flowers bear a distinct checkerboard patterned overlay. The pure-white selections are just as beautiful. The bulbs' faint skunk-like odor is pungent enough to repel most pests.

Name: Fritillaria meleagris

Growing Conditions: Shade and moist well-drained soil

Size: Up to 1 foot tall

Zones: 3-8

Buy It: Fritillaria meleagris ($15 for 25, White Flower Farm)

10 of 12

Glory-of-the-Snow

blooming glory of the snow flowers
Justin Hancock

A charming little bulb that deserves to be a lot better known, glory-of-the-snow is one of the first to bloom in the spring and bears cheery pink, blue, or white star-shaped flowers. Plant them with other early spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips for a pretty splash of color in your garden. The plant is toxic if ingested.

Name: Chionodoxa luciliae

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 12 inches tall

Zones: 3-8

11 of 12

Winter Aconite

yellow blooming winter aconite
Denny Schrock

One of the first blooms you'll see before spring arrives, winter aconite bears cup-shaped sunny yellow flowers. These rugged plants often send their shoots up through snow. Plant them near your kitchen window or garage where the blooms can be appreciated in late winter. This plant is toxic if ingested.

Name: Eranthis hyemalis

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 6 inches tall

Zones: 3-7

12 of 12

Snowdrop

Galanthus snowdrops growing in test garden
Sandra Gerdes

Often greeting spring before the snow has gone, snowdrops offer small, dangling, butterfly-shaped white flowers. Its common name refers to the supposed resemblance of the flowers to drops of snow. It grows particularly well under large deciduous trees and in groupings in border fronts. Snowdrops are toxic, so deer and rabbits avoid them.

Name: Galanthus nivalis

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 9 inches tall

Zones: 3-7

Buy It: Galanthus nivalis (White Flower Farm)

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles