Top Deer-Resistant Plants of the Southwest
A word of warning before you start through this slideshow: There are few, if any, plants you can really call deer proof. We've pulled together a selection of plants that deer often avoid. We hope the plants will help you create the garden of your dreams.
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Agave
Add incredible structure and drama to your yard with agaves. Besides being beautiful, the plants are low-care, taking heat and drought well. For extra interest, choose types that have variegated foliage (a favorite around here is the Queen Victoria selection). Pick your varieties carefully -- some have dangerously sharp edges.
Plant Name: Agave selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 6 feet tall and wide
Zones: 6-10, depending on type
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Blanket Flower
We love the way this tough little perennial blooms and blooms all summer long and then into autumn. The bright red, yellow, or orange flowers are great for cutting -- and will bring many butterflies to your yard.
Plant Name: Gaillardia selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Zones: 3-8
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California Fuchsia
California fuchsia is a favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds thanks to the masses of tubular red flowers it produces starting in summer and continuing through fall. It's also a tough-as-nails native plant, requiring virtually no watering during the growing season.
Plant Name: Zauschneria californica
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide
Zones: 8-10
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Hedgehog Cactus
As you'd expect from a cactus, this plant is covered in prickly spines, making it a good bet for gardens where deer tend to frequent. It's also an attractive, easy-growing plant that bears bright clusters of pink, purple, white, yellow, red, or orange flowers in early summer.
Plant Name: Echinocereus selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and wide
Zones: 9-10, depending on type
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Lavender
A favorite of gardeners everywhere, lavender is one of the best-smelling plants you can grow. (Plant it next to pathways where you can brush by and enjoy the relaxing scent.) It's also one of the prettiest garden plants, bedecked in silvery foliage and gorgeous purple blooms.
Plant Name: Lavandula selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet all and 4 feet wide, depending on type
Zones: 5-10, depending on type
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Lavender Cotton
This low-care ground cover offers beautiful evergreen silvery, aromatic foliage. In summer, lavender cotton bears stalks of bright yellow flowers, but the real attraction is the foliage. It's often used to edge herb gardens.
Plant Name: Santolina chamaecyparissus
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Zones: 6-9
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Oriental Poppy
Give your garden a burst of spring color from the crepe-paper-like flowers of Oriental poppy. This slow-spreading beauty blooms in shades of orange, pink, purple, and red. Because Oriental poppies often go dormant by midsummer, it's helpful to plant them with a partner such as salvia so you won't have a bare spot in your garden.
Plant Name: Papaver orientale
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4-9
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Rosemary
Fill your garden with the scent of the Mediterranean with rosemary. This versatile evergreen shrub bears leathery leaves that deer don't touch. Harvest the leaves and add them as you cook to imbue your food with fresh, herbal flavor all year long.
Plant Name: Rosmarinus officinalis
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall and wide
Zones: 8-10
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Soapwort
This long-blooming perennial deserves more attention. Soapwort puts on a respectable show with its clusters pink or white flowers all summer long. Plus, it doesn't need any special pampering to stay looking good.
Plant Name: Saponaria selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: From 6 to 24 inches tall and wide, depending on type
Zones: 3-9, depending on type
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Snow-in-Summer
White and silver are classic colors in the garden because they go well with everything. So plant this easy-care ground cover with just about anything for a stunning plant combination.
Plant Name: Cerastium tomentosum
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 inches tall and spreading to several feet wide
Zones: 3-7
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Society Garlic
Little purple globes of flowers, like miniature alliums, float over grassy leaves in summer and fall giving society garlic its good looks. This clump-forming perennial spreads slowly, so it's an attractive edger for herb gardens. Society garlic is also a top pick for containers.
Plant Name: Tulbaghia violacea
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet
Zones: 7-10
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Texas Sage
Would could be better than a salvia? The plants are beautiful, low-care, and usually both deer and rabbit resistant. You just can't go wrong with them. Texas sage is an especially good choice because it blooms from summer to autumn and has soft, hairy foliage.
Plant Name: Salvia coccinea
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide
Zones: Annual
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Yucca
Plant yucca and forget it -- it'll still look great. This ultra-tough plant takes heat and drought like a champion and still looks beautiful. Without its clusters of tall summertime blooms, its architectural foliage adds a distinctive look to any garden. Try pairing it with ornamental grasses for a bold, unique contrast.
Plant Name: Yucca filamentosa
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide in bloom
Zones: Zones 4-10