Plants Deer Leave Alone
Deer-Resistant Perennials for Illinois Gardens
A woman from the rural side of Barrington came into Goebbert’s Farm & Garden Center last May with phone pictures of her garden.
The photos weren’t pretty: hostas chewed down to the nubs, tulip flowers missing, a whole row of daylilies looking like someone gave them a bad haircut. “The deer are destroying everything,” she said. “I’m about to give up.”
We walked her over to our perennial section, handed her a list of plants deer reliably skip, and by June, she texted us a photo of her garden looking completely different. Flowers everywhere. Zero deer damage.
That’s what deer-resistant perennials do for you. They let you have a real garden in areas where deer pressure is high, without needing fences, sprays, or the kind of vigilance that turns protecting your garden into a second job. At Goebbert’s Farm & Garden Center in Barrington, we see this constantly with customers from South Barrington, Algonquin, and the more wooded parts of Hoffman Estates. Deer are part of life around here. The trick is working with that reality instead of fighting it.
What “Deer-Resistant” Actually Means
Here’s the truth upfront. No plant is 100% deer proof. A hungry enough deer will eat almost anything, especially in a rough winter or a drought summer.
But “deer resistant” means the plant has traits deer generally avoid: fuzzy leaves, strong fragrance, bitter taste, milky sap, or thorns. Deer have options in most yards, and they’d rather graze on the plant next door than work at something unpleasant.
Our resident expert, Ben Goebbert, puts it this way:
“Deer are like any picky eater. Give them a salad bar with hostas and daylilies on it, they’ll pick those every time. Give them a garden full of sage, coneflowers, and yarrow, they’ll walk right past it.”
🦌 Quick Facts
- No plant is 100% deer-proof, but many are reliably skipped.
- Deer avoid plants that are fragrant, fuzzy, bitter, or bristly.
- Our top picks: Astilbe, Russian Sage, Coral Bells, Salvia, Catmint.
- Plant in drifts and groups, not lonely singles.
Top Deer-Resistant Perennials We Sell at Goebbert’s
These are the perennials we point to first when customers come in with deer problems. All of them handle our zone 5b/6a winters and thrive in Illinois summers.
1. Astilbe
Ferny Plumes for Shade
Astilbe is a shade garden workhorse that deer consistently skip. The feathery flower plumes in pink, white, or red appear in early summer, and the fern-like foliage stays attractive all season. Perfect for the shady side of the house where hostas used to get eaten. Full details on our astilbe page.
2. Coral Bells
Year-Round Color
Coral bells bring foliage color from spring through fall in shades of purple, lime, peach, and silver. Deer don’t like the leaf texture. Bonus: they work in sun or shade depending on variety. See our coral bells page for variety recommendations.
3. Russian Sage
Aromatic and Tough
Russian sage might be the single most deer resistant perennial we sell. The strong fragrance that humans love is exactly what deer hate. Silvery foliage and lavender-blue flower spikes from midsummer through fall. Drought tolerant once established. A must-have for deer-heavy properties.
4. Yarrow (Achillea)
Low-Maintenance Color
Yarrow has ferny foliage with a slightly bitter taste deer avoid. Flat flower clusters in yellow, pink, red, or white. Tough as nails, drought tolerant, and it attracts beneficial insects. Low maintenance and reliably deer resistant.
5. Salvia
Pollinator Magnet
Salvia combines deer resistance with hummingbird and bee appeal. The aromatic leaves turn deer off, but the purple, blue, or red flower spikes bring the pollinators in all summer long. A genuine win-win.
6. Lavender
Fragrance They Hate
Lavender is maybe the most famous deer-proof plant for a reason. That beautiful scent humans love is practically repellent to deer. Works best in full sun with well-drained soil. Plant it along walkways where you’ll brush against it.
7. Catmint (Nepeta)
Long-Blooming Cloud
Catmint produces clouds of purple-blue flowers for months on end. The minty fragrance keeps deer away. Easy, drought-tolerant, and one of the longest-blooming perennials we carry.
8. Bleeding Heart
Spring Showstopper
Bleeding Heart gives you heart-shaped pink or white flowers in spring. The foliage contains compounds deer don’t like. Great for shade or part shade, and pairs beautifully with astilbe and coral bells.
9. Black-Eyed Susan
Late Summer Gold
Black-eyed Susans have slightly hairy leaves that deer skip. Golden yellow flowers from midsummer through fall, and they self-seed nicely so you’ll have more every year.
10. Coneflower
Prairie Tough
Coneflowers have a bristly texture deer generally avoid. Native to the Midwest, drought-tolerant, and they bring butterflies by the dozens. Available in purple, white, pink, orange, and yellow now thanks to modern breeding.
11. Peony
Classic and Deer-Proof
Peonies are surprisingly deer resistant. The thick foliage and strong scent when crushed turn deer off. Plus peonies are one of those plants you can plant once and enjoy for fifty years.
12. Bee Balm (Monarda)
Aromatic Native
Bee balm rounds out the list with aromatic foliage deer avoid, plus the bonus of being a hummingbird magnet. See our monarda page for variety info.
Why These Plants Work
Looking at that list, a pattern shows up. Most deer resistant perennials share one or more of these traits:
- Strong fragrance: lavender, salvia, Russian sage, catmint, bee balm
- Fuzzy or hairy leaves: black-eyed Susan, yarrow, lamb’s ear
- Bitter or toxic compounds, bleeding heart, daffodils, foxglove
- Tough, leathery texture: coral bells, sedum
- Prickly or bristly surfaces: coneflower, globe thistle
Understanding these traits helps you spot other deer resistant plants when you’re shopping. If a plant is fuzzy, fragrant, or bitter-tasting, there’s a decent chance deer will pass on it.
Plants Deer Love : Skip These
Knowing what NOT to plant is just as important. These are deer candy:
- Hostas: The #1 target in most yards. Expect total demolition.
- Daylilies: Deer love the flower buds especially.
- Tulips: Pretty much deer lollipops.
- Arborvitae: Deer will strip them bare in winter.
- Yews: Another winter casualty.
If you really want hostas (and who doesn’t), try deer-resistant substitutes like coral bells, astilbe, ferns, and lamium for that same shade garden feel.
Deer-Resistant Shrubs Worth Mentioning
The question “deer resistant perennials” often goes hand in hand with deer resistant shrubs. A few quick picks if you’re building a whole deer-proof landscape:
- Boxwood: Reliably deer resistant, evergreen, classic.
- Spirea: Deer generally leave it alone.
- Lilac: The fragrance works in your favor.
- Butterfly Bush (Buddleia): Deer skip it, pollinators love it.
- Juniper: Most varieties are deer resistant.
How to Build a Deer-Resistant Garden
A few tips from years of helping deer-frustrated customers around Barrington and Algonquin.
Plant in drifts, not singles
A large group of deer-resistant plants signals “nothing tasty here” better than one lonely lavender surrounded by hostas.
Ring vulnerable plants with resistant ones
If you absolutely must have something deer love, surround it with fragrant perennials like salvia and catmint. Deer often won’t push through the aromatic barrier.
Protect new plantings
Even deer-resistant perennials can get sampled by curious deer when they’re freshly planted and fragrant from handling. Use repellent spray for the first few weeks.
Deer pressure varies by year
A plant ignored for three years might get munched in a drought summer when food is scarce. Don’t panic. It usually doesn’t happen again.
Layer with height variety
Mix tall Russian sage or catmint with mid-height coneflowers and coral bells at the front. Good design AND good defense.
Ryan’s Zone Tip
“Half the ‘deer resistant’ lists online are written for zone 7. Shop local and you avoid that problem.”
: Ryan Smith
Deer Resistance and Our Illinois Climate
Zone 5b/6a has its own considerations. Winters are harsh enough to kill some zone 6-7 “deer resistant” plants before deer even get a chance. Everything on our top 12 list above is fully hardy in our climate, so you’re not fighting winter AND deer.
Our resident expert, Ryan Smith, says the biggest mistake he sees is customers buying beautiful plants online without checking zone hardiness. “Half the ‘deer resistant’ lists online are written for zone 7. If you buy something marginal here and it dies over winter, the deer didn’t get it: the cold did. Shop local and you avoid that problem.”
Come See Our Deer-Resistant Selection
We stock deer-resistant perennials throughout spring and early summer at Goebbert’s Farm & Garden Center in Barrington. Best selection hits in April and May. Many of the perennials on this list, astilbe, coral bells, Russian sage, salvia, yarrow, catmint, and coneflowers, are available in multiple varieties, so you can mix colors and heights.
Our staff knows which plants reliably hold up to deer pressure in our area. Whether you’re in Barrington, South Barrington, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, or Algonquin, bring photos of your yard, and we’ll help you build a garden the deer walk right past. And if you want more on general perennial care, check out our caring for perennials blog.
