Gardening Gardening By Region Gardening in the South Top Deer-Resistant Plants of Georgia and the Other Southern States By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Having deer around doesn't mean you can't enjoy a beautiful garden. Try these deer-resistant plants for tons of landscape color in your Southern garden. 01 of 15 Deer-Resistant But Not Deer-Proof Bill Stites We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are few genuinely deer-resistent plants in Georgia or any other Southern states. The list you'll see here contains selections deer often avoid. But if deer are hungry enough, they'll eat just about anything. So keep in mind this plant list is a starting point. 02 of 15 Bear's Breeches James Carriere An architectural plant worth its weight in gold, bear's breeches create a ton of structure in the garden thanks to its towering spikes of blooms and large, glossy leaves. Plant Name: Acanthus mollis Growing Conditions: Part sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide Zones: 6-10 03 of 15 Butterfly Weed Happily, this plant will bring a host of butterflies to your yard—but not deer. A tough perennial native to areas of North America, butterfly weed (milkweed) bursts forth with clusters of orange flowers in summer. It's also heat and drought-resistant, so you can depend on it to look good, even with little care. Plant Name: Asclepias tuberosa Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide Zones: 4-9 04 of 15 Caryopteris Marty Baldwin This standout plant reminds us of Russian sage (the two are great plant partners). Bluebeard has scented, silvery-green foliage and clusters of violet-blue flowers in late summer and fall. We love how this drought-resistant beauty adds a touch of no-care color to shrub borders when most other shrubs have finished. Plant Name: Caryopteris selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 4 feet tall and wide Zones: 5-9 05 of 15 Chrysanthemum William N. Hopkins Perhaps the best-known fall-blooming plant, chrysanthemum cultivars now offer an astonishing range of colors, from purples and pinks to the more traditional fall tones of red, rust, orange, and yellow. Because of the plant's scented foliage, you won't have to worry about deer munching away on yours as they get ready for winter. Plant Name: Chrysanthemum selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 4 feet tall and wide, depending on selection Zones: 4-10, depending on type 06 of 15 Crocosmia Bill Stites Crocosmia is almost startlingly dramatic in the garden. Its sword-shaped leaves add great interest but take a back seat to the clusters of bold red (or orange or yellow) flowers in midsummer. This clump-forming perennial gets bigger and better every year. Plant Name: Crocosmia selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide Zones: 5-9, depending on type 07 of 15 Dianthus Peter Krumhardt Decorate your garden with the charming blooms and wonderful scent of dianthus. This perennial is full of flower power; many types produce blooms for weeks at a time in spring, summer, or fall. Plant Name: Dianthus selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: From 2 to 36 inches tall and 4 to 24 inches wide Zones: 3-10, depending on type 08 of 15 Epimedium Bob Stefko A favorite of just about every gardener who fights dry, shady conditions, epimedium is a knockout variety. It has cute flowers (in shades of pink, red, orange, white, and yellow) and deer-resistant foliage. In addition, many selections of this wonderfully easy groundcover are evergreen—giving it an extra level of interest. Plant Name: Epimedium selections Growing Conditions: Shade and well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and wide Zones: 4-9, depending on type 09 of 15 Goldenrod Robert Cardillo Goldenrod sends out golden explosions of flowers in late summer and early autumn, and it's as excellent for the vase as the flower bed. It's an ideal filler plant for fall arrangements and creates the same airy effect in late-season borders. Plant Name: Solidago selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: From 1 to 6 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide Zones: 3-9, depending on type 10 of 15 Hens and Chicks Peter Krumhardt As low-maintenance as it gets, hens and chicks is a super-easy, drought-tolerant groundcover you can depend on to look good all year long. Plant Name: Sempervivum selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 3 inches tall and 12 inches wide Zones: 4-10, depending on type 11 of 15 Joe Pye Weed Hedrich-Blessing Studio Joe Pye weed, bearing giant puffs of reddish-purple flowers in late summer or early fall, is a North American prairie perennial. It's a perfect choice for the back of the bed or border. Joe Pye weed reaches up to 7 feet in ideal conditions (though smaller selections are available) and attracts butterflies. Plant Name: Eupatorium purpureum Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist soil Size: To 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide Zones: 3-9 12 of 15 New Zealand Flax Frances Litman A container-garden favorite in colder areas, New Zealand flax is a top-notch perennial in milder regions. It creates a clump of architectural leaves that add visual energy to beds and borders. For even more appeal, select cultivars that have variegated foliage. Plant Name: Phormium selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 6 feet tall and wide Zones: 9-10 13 of 15 Red-Hot Poker Laurie Dickson Employ this low-care plant to add a touch of whimsy to your yard. Red-hot poker bears summertime spikes of yellow, orange, or red flowers above clumps of grassy foliage. It's a great cut flower, too. Plant Name: Kniphofia selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide Zones: 5-9, depending on type 14 of 15 Rosemary Edward Gohlich Use rosemary to fill your garden with the scent of the Mediterranean. This evergreen shrub offers leathery leaves that deer don't touch. Harvest the leaves and add them as you cook to imbue your food with fresh, herbal flavor. Plant Name: Rosmarinus officinalis Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 5 feet tall and wide Zones: 8-10 15 of 15 Russian Sage Peter Krumhardt A king of the late-summer garden, Russian sage bursts forth with feathery wands of violet-purple flowers over masses of silvery foliage. Like many other plants disliked by deer, it bears scented foliage. It's nice to grow this plant where you can occasionally walk by and enjoy its scent. Plant Name: Perovskia atriplicifolia Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide Zones: 4-9 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit