The BEST Deer Resistant Plants for Your Shade Garden!

Welcome back to Bountiful Gardens! If you’re like us, the garden is your sanctuary–the place where you can really find your zen. The last thing you want in such a sacred space is for a hungry deer to come munchin’ on through your precious plants!

Barrenwort (Epimedium) is a shade loving evergreen, perfect for the base of trees.

In this post, you'll learn:

• There are plenty of deer resistant plants that thrive in the shade!

• We carry perennials, trees and shrubs that are prized for their deer resistance

• Many of our shade-loving native species are deer-resistant!

Summersweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) in our native perennial display

If you have a shady woodland garden that commonly gets visited by deer, this is the video for you! This week, we’ll be covering some of the best deer-resistant, shade-tolerant plants you can add to your landscape to protect your peace. 

A fresh bloom on Brunnera (False Forget-Me-Not)

Hellebores are some of the earliest and most dramatic Spring blooms.

For bright Spring blooms and showy Summer foliage that deer will walk right past, Brunnera and Hellebores make excellent choices, and are perfect companion plants!

The blooming plumes of Astilbe (False Goat's Beard)

A freshly-opened flower on Ligularia (Leopard Plant)

To keep your deer-resistant woodland garden blooming through the summer, be sure to mix in some Astilbe and Ligularia, which can turn any shady space into a vibrant flower show. 

The orchid-like blooms of Epimedium (Barrenwort)

Dry shady spots can pose a challenge for many plants, but not Barrenwort! These guys come in so many flower colors and foliage shapes, allowing you to create your own custom blend of Spring-blooming splendor. Even better, they’re Evergreen! 

The hardy, evergreen and squeaky foliage of Bergenia (Pigsqueak)

Another shade-loving, early-blooming perennial that hangs onto its leaves year-round is Bergenia. Thanks to their squeaky, leathery leaves, deer typically pass these perennials by. 

The graceful flower clusters of a mature Andromeda

The holly-like foliage and golden flowers of Mahonia

Leucothoe is a gorgeous shade loving evergreen shrub

Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a native shrub with incredibly intricate blooms.

Skimmia is a lesser-known flowering evergreen shrub with amazingly fragrant Spring flowers.

If you’re looking to get more height and fill more space in the shade, Andromeda, Mahonia, Leucothoe, Mountain Laurel and Skimmia are five beautiful evergreen shrubs offering fragrant early Spring flowers in Whites, Pinks and Yellows. 

Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet Pepperbush), reaching out toward the sun from under the forest canopy

For shady, wet sites, Clethra is hard to beat. These native shrubs are a magnet for pollinators in the Summer, sending out vanilla-spice-scented spires that you’ll adore and deer will avoid. 

Bottlebrush Buckeye is a native shade garden stunner with flower spikes over 12 inches long!

For an even bigger statement in a moist shady spot, Bottlebrush Buckeye is a native, colony-forming showstopper with huge white Summer blooms and characteristic palmate leaves. 

You can find an endless assortment of Ferns at Bountiful Gardens

Finally, while they may not flower, ferns are some of the most beautiful and diverse plants you can add to your shade garden. 

Ferns are incredibly versatile in the shade garden, and deer won't touch them!

There’s a fern for any shady site and soil condition, and no matter what variety you choose, you won’t have to worry about them becoming deer food. 

Brunnera is famous for its intricate vein patterns and leaf color patterns.

Like we’ve said in the past, there’s no such thing as a “deer-proof” plant, but species like the ones we discussed today will give your woodland garden its best shot to thrive alongside our high deer populations here in the northeast. 

Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) in full bloom on the edge of the forest

So don’t let your shady spot get munched any longer! Come on out to Bountiful Gardens and find your perfect deer-resistant plants today! Watch all of the above in dazzling video form below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8tcYmt8n4k