Gardening Flowers Bulbs 12 Beautiful Bulbs Deer and Rabbits Won't Eat By Sheryl Geerts Sheryl Geerts Website Sheryl Geerts is an editor and author who has nearly three decades of writing and editing experience. She enjoys writing about garden, food, and home topics. Her bylines have appeared in Better Homes & Gardens, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and several other national publications. Sheryl earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication with an emphasis in advertising/public relations and journalism, as well as a minor in business administration from St. Ambrose University. She then also earned a Master of Arts in Mass Communication with an emphasis in integrated marketing communications from Drake University. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on July 13, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit