Choosing flowers that rabbits and deer don't love to eat
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Do you have trouble with deer and rabbits in your garden? Here’s a list of pest-resistant plants that these common garden pests won’t touch, plus a few favorite low-maintenance and extra-hardy options.
The trick is finding plants that these critters avoid. I like flowers that I don’t have to deadhead, too. A confession: I’m really a lazy gardener!
Pest-Resistant Plants List
Most munchers usually avoid plants with thorny or fuzzy foliage and those with strong aromas, like lavender. To save your most valued flowers, situate them in the center of beds closest to the house or against the house. Why? Deer and rabbits nibble on the outside edges of plantings furthest away from buildings.
Rabbits
Read Next
Rabbits avoid calendulas, chrysanthemums, columbines, four o’clocks, foxglove, gladiolus, hollyhocks, impatiens, iris, larkspur, morning glories, nicotiana, snapdragons, sweet peas, and verbena.
Deer
Deer steer clear of ageratum, begonias, chrysanthemums, columbines, coreopsis, cosmos, foxglove, iris, lavender, monarda, purple coneflower, rudbeckia, salvia, Shasta daisies, verbena, vinca, yarrow, zinnias. See more deer-resistant plants.
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Surround your favorite blooms with ones deer and rabbits hate to protect them. Photo courtesy of the National Garden Bureau.
No or Low Maintenance Plants
Begonia, ageratum, lobelia, coleus, and alyssum need no deadheading. Neither do Flower Carpet and Knock-Out roses.
“Pow Wow” echinacea or coneflower is a tough, reliable bloomer in almost every climate. Photo courtesty of Ball Seed Co.
Plants That Grow in Any Climate
Cleome, impatiens, petunias, marigolds, and zinnias are annuals that perform well everywhere. Perennials that are guaranteed to bloom all over the country include ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum, coneflowers, coreopsis, rudbeckia, and yarrow.
Two of my favorite flowers also grow everywhere and are tough. ‘Silver Tidal Wave’ petunia is one of the first in the Tidal Waves series. Its lavender-white flowers deadhead themselves, they need no pinching to grow lushly, and the plants spread themselves. Stems grow a couple of inches each day, creating three-foot-tall hedges ablaze with blooms.
My favorite perennial is ‘Mardi Gras’ helenium, a plant-and-forget perennial covered with orange flowers from July until frost. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and yellow finches love this punch of powerful color.
Do you have any favorite pest-resistant plants? Let us know in the comments below!
Doreen G. Howard
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I like to plant peppermint to keep away stinkbugs and mosquito's.
I can't keep hollyhocks in my garden, this is the second year the rabbits have eaten them to the dirt. This year they are eating my marigolds.
The article says hollyhocks are rabbit resistant.
This is the exact opposite of my experience.
Rabbits seem to hit the hollyhocks first; they seem to prefer them.
Many of your flowers in this catagory have been eaten by deer in my neighborhood. I guess if there is not not enough food available, they eat anything. They have even eaten my cone flowers.
Not sure if you can really can beat nature. I have sprayed and put barriers up and they get through them to.
I live in the Rockies at 8,500 ft. We haven't had a wet winter or summer in 5 years. Because of this drought, the chipmunks, field mice, and gophers eat things they normally never touch. There is literally nothing else for them to eat. Our wells are stressed as well. I happen to have a spring fed pond I could use to water my plants, but even it is down 14". As an example, it is now the first of Sept. and my hostas, normally 18" tall, are barely 3". I have still had good luck with the rodents not eating bleeding heart, iris, peony, alyssum and mint. The spray you can buy to keep them from stripping every plant has a strong peppermint smell, so I have been making my own with hot peppers and mint. Even so, I have had everything from the tiniest field mice to a very hungry bear tearing up the yard and garden looking for literally anything they can eat. If you are also in a drought, don't assume what they are eating this year will be what they eat when the drought breaks. They may eat coreopsis this year (stripped mine to the ground), but when things are back to normal, never touch it. Severe drought changes all the rules.
We moved into a more rural area with lots of wildlife and wooded areas on 3-5 acreage. The deer have more than enough to eat around here, but before I spend a lot of money on young plants, I thought I'd ask how to protect these plants before the deer have them for dessert. I love lots of color like yellow or varigated Lantana. Older Lantana has a touch branch and the deer avoid them. Same with Esperanza's and Pride of Barbados. How do I protect them until they are more mature? I would love to have groupings of them in pots all around the gardens. The house is a sort of Spanish Rivival with a light gray stucco and black trim and some white trim. It would be an awesome garden! I can't wait to get started!
What bulbs and plants will Moles not eat and how to get rid of them. Thank you.
Hi Carolyn,
Moles are carnivorous, eating worms and grubs in the soil under your lawn and garden. Moles don’t eat plants, though planting marigolds around your garden can potentially repel them. You can find more information on how to get rid of moles here: http://www.almanac.com/pest/moles
We hope this helps!
Any suggestions for squirrels? That is the problem in our neighborhood. Thank you
Squirrels have their way with things, it seems, but here are a few ideas. Generally, plants with a strong scent repel squirrels. Not all of these have a strong scent but they are repute to be effective:
• daffodils
• alliums (onion family)
• fritillaries
• galanthus
• hyacinth
• lily of the valley
• geraniums
• peppermint
