Deer Resistant Plants: Variety and Care • Cross Creek Nursery and Landscape

Generally, hungry Deer will eat most anything! If you have Deer frequenting your yard, plants these options to have the best luck.

When landscaping with Deer Resistant Plants, lean more towards grasses, scented plants, or big, pluming flowers. Deer are easily scared by plants that move with the wind, are hesitant around any unfamiliar scent, and find that big fluffy flowers aren’t that tasty.

Name	Sun ☀️	Water 💧	Soil 🪴
Angelonia	Direct Sun: 6-8 hours a day	Water when the top layer of soil feels dry to the touch	Prefer rich, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic pH between 5.5 and 6.2
Citronella	Prefer full or partial sun, but can tolerate shade in the afternoon	Water citronella when the top inch of soil is dry	Prefer rich, well-draining soil
Cuphea	Prefers full sun to partial shade	Water regularly until the plant is established, keeping the soil moist but not soggy	Fresh, loose, nutrient-rich soil
Evolvulus	Full sun is a must to get the most bloom out of your evolvulus	Drought tolerant and should be watered when the top 1–2 inches of soil is dry	Soil texture and acidity, the plant is quite adaptable, but excellent drainage is a must 🏵️: Low-growing, spreading plant that works well as a colorful seasonal filler in garden beds
Herbs	Most herbs need at least six hours of full sun each day	Most herbs need some water daily, but some, like thyme and sage, can tolerate drying out a bit	Need well-drained soil and shouldn’t be kept in standing water
Lantana	Direct Sun: 6-8 hours a day	Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy	Prefer rich, well-draining soil 🏵️: The flowers attract pollinators such as butterflies, bees and hummingbirds!
Pentas	Pentas thrive in full sunlight, enjoying at least 6 hours of direct light daily	Regular watering is key, especially during hot spells	These plants prefer well-drained, fertile soil.
Snapdragons	Grow best in full sun, but can tolerate partial shade	When first planting, water snapdragons daily until they are established. After that, about once a week, providing about one inch of water.	Prefer rich, well-draining soil
Vinca	Prefer full sun to partial shade, but too much shade can cause them to become leggy	Drought tolerant and should be watered when the top 1–2 inches of soil is dry	These plants prefer well-drained, fertile soil

Name	Sun ☀️	Water 💧	Soil 🪴
Arizona Cypress	Needs full sun for plenty of direct light	Water deeply at least every other week during the growing season	Loamy, sandy, well-drained
Eastern Red Cedar	A young eastern red cedar will do well growing in full sun to part shade, but as it matures, it will do best in full sun areas	After planting it’s necessary to give plenty of supplemental irrigation for the first two growing seasons. Prefers damp soil without allowing standing water to collect.	Rich, moist, slightly acidic, well-drained
Hollies	Partial shade, with some full sun exposure during the day	Water holly trees deeply when planting, and keep the soil moist but not soggy	Rich, well-draining, slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.0
Juniper	Prefer full sun for best growth	Tolerate drought, but newly planted or young junipers need regular watering. Water when the soil is moderately dry	Slightly acidic, well-drained soil that’s rich in organic nutrients
Serviceberry	Adapts to a range of sun exposure, from full sun to partial shade; however, full sun will produce more fruit	Water frequently, especially during the first year, to keep the soil moist but not wet	Grow best in open, sunny areas with good drainage and moderate moisture
Thuja	Full sun to partial shade	Three times a month during the summer months, and twice a month during the colder months	Prefer slightly acidic soilcan adapt to a wide range of soil types, from sandy soil to dirt heavy with clay

Name	Sun ☀️	Water 💧	Soil 🪴
Artemisia	Thrive in full sun and need at least six hours of direct sunlight per day	Water regularly until the plant is established, which can take 6–8 weeks. Keep the soil evenly moist	Well-drained soil that is poor to moderately fertile
Baptisia	Need at least six hours of sun a day to thrive	Needs to be watered regularly until it’s established, but is generally drought tolerant once it has taken root	Deep, rich, moist, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic
Creeping Phlox	Grows best in full sun to partial shade	Water weekly, especially during hot, dry weather or periods without rain	Prefers well-draining, slightly acidic soil
Echinops	Full sun but can tolerate partial shade	Should be watered regularly, especially during dry periods, until they are established	Prefer well-drained, poor soils over rich ones
Helenium	Need at least six hours of direct sunlight a day	Water at least once a week, and more frequently in hot weather. Avoid letting the soil dry out	Well-drained, moist, rich soil with a slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 7.0
Lady’s Mantle	Does well in sun or partial shade	Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged	Prefers well-drained soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.5
Liriope	Can grow in a range of sun conditions, from full sun to deep shade	When newly planted: Water deeply once or twice a week to help the roots grow	Prefer moist, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic to neutral
Lysimachia	Full sun to part shade	Prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly	Moist, well-drained soil that doesn’t dry out in the summer
Perovskia	Needs at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight each day	Water regularly during the first growing season to establish a deep root system. Allow the plant to dry out between waterings	Prefers well-drained, medium-to-dry soil with a pH of 7–9
Salvia	Full sun and need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day	Water thoroughly after planting to help the plant settle in	Prefer well-drained soil that’s slightly acidic, with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5
Stachys	Full sun, or at least six hours of direct sunlight each day	Water regularly until they are established	Well-drained soil that’s fertile and has a near neutral pH
Stokesia	Grows best in full sun but can tolerate some part shade	Water deeply about once a week when it doesn’t rain, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings	Well-drained, acidic soil with plenty of moisture
Tiarella	Moderate to full shade with morning sun only	Prefers moderate water and moist but not soggy soil	Rich, organic, well-drained soil with a pH between 6.2 and 6.5
Veronica	Blooms best with at least 6 hours of full sun	Need regular watering, especially during their first growing season	Well-drained, loamy soil that’s rich in organic matter

Name	Sun ☀️	Water 💧	Soil 🪴
Amsonia	Prefer full sun to partial shade, but can tolerate some shade	Water regularly during the first growing season, providing about 1–2 inches of water per week	Well-drained, rich, and well-amended soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0
Goats Beard	Full sun to part shade	Water whenever the soil starts to dry out, as the foliage can go downhill quickly in dry conditions.	Prefers loamy, organically rich soil.
Vinca	Prefer full sun to partial shade, but too much shade can cause them to become legg	Water vinca plants when the top 1–2 inches of soil are dry, usually once a week	Can grow in average soil, but they prefer well-drained soil.
Pachysandra	Full to partial shade, and too much sun can cause the foliage to bleach or turn yellow	Water regularly, especially during hot and dry periods, until the roots are established	Grows best in slightly acidic, well-drained soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5
Sweet Box	Does best in partial or full shade, but can tolerate full sun if it has enough moisture	Water well during the first year while the plant is establishing itself.	Moist, well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter
Mondo Grass	Mondo grass is not picky. The most common green varieties can take anything from full sun to shade.	Ideally, they need consistent moisture without being in standing water	Can grow in many types of soil, but prefers moist, well-drained, and slightly acidic humusy soil
Heuchera	Foliage color and bloom are best when plants receive at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight	Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy	Does best in rich well-draining soil, but is tolerant of clay or rocky soils and salt
Lungwort	Prefer partial shade and should be protected from the hot afternoon sun	During the growing season, lungwort plants need a steady supply of moisture	Grow best in moist, well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter
Brunnera	Shade-loving plant that can tolerate some sun but prefers to avoid the hot afternoon sun	Water it regularly to keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy	Prefers fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–8.0
Sweet Woodruff	Prefers partial to full shade, but can tolerate some morning sun or dappled sunlight	Water sweet woodruff when the top inch of soil feels dry	Moist, well-drained, fertile soil that’s slightly acidic (pH 6.0–6.8)
Tradescantia	Prefer bright, indirect sunlight, but can tolerate some direct sun	Water it when the top few centimeters of soil are dry	Well-draining potting soil with a mixture of perlite or sand
Foxglove	Can grow in a range of light conditions, from full sun to full shade, depending on the variety and climate	Grow best where soil remains cool and consistently moist throughout summer	Well-draining, fertile soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0)
Lamium	Versatile plant that can grow in both sun and shade, but its needs vary depending on the climate and variety	Water regularly, especially during dry spells, to keep Lamium looking lush and prevent stress.	Prefer well-drained, moist, and humus-rich soil with moderate acidity
Hellebore	Prefer partial shade or light dappled sun, and should be kept out of direct afternoon sun	Deep watering once a week should be adequate	Moist, well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter
Epimedium	Do best in partial to full shade, and can tolerate some morning sun but not hot afternoon sun	During the first growing season: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged	Well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter and slightly acidic to neutral in pH
Ferns	Bright, indirect light and should be kept away from direct sunlight	Water ferns every 4–5 days in the summer and every 7–10 days in the winter	Need well-drained, nutrient-rich soil with lots of organic matte

Name	Sun ☀️	Water 💧	Soil 🪴
Distyllium	prefer at least 4–6 hours of direct sunlight per day	Water regularly during their first year to help establish a strong root system	Well-drained, moist, and slightly acidic to neutral soil with a pH of 5.5–7.0
Wax Myrtle	Can grow in full sun or partial shade, but it does best in full sun for berry production	Best to water wax myrtle once every 1-2 weeks, ensuring soil moisture is maintained without becoming waterlogged	Can grow in a variety of soil conditions, but they prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soil
Gardenia	Can grow in full sun to partial shade, but they need protection from the intense afternoon sun	Need at least one inch of water per week, and the soil should be kept moist but not soggy	Prefer well-draining, acidic, and rich soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.5
Viburnum	Plants can grow in full sun or partial shade	When first planted, water every 1 or 2 days, whenever the top inch of soil is dry	Can grow in many different types of soil, but they prefer moist, well-drained, and slightly acidic soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5
Hollies	Holly shrubs will tolerate light shade, but will produce the most berries when planted in full sun	Perform best with moderate water. Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy	Prefers rich, well-draining soil that’s slightly acidic
Calycanthus	Grows best in moist, well-drained soil that’s rich in humus and moderately fertile	At planting, water the roots and surrounding area slowly and deeply.	Grows best in moist, well-drained soil that’s rich in humus and moderately fertile
Scotch Broom	Thrive in full sun, meaning they need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day	Water well after planting and maintain about 1 inch of water per week during the first year	Thrive in well-drained soil, but can tolerate poor soil quality as long as it drains well
Skip Laurel	Thrive in full sun or partial shade	Water your Skip laurel every day, then gradually reduce to once a week or every 10 days	They do well in sandy soils, clay soils, and alkaline and acidic soils
Otto Luyken Laurel	Partial shade to full sun for optimal growth and health	Weekly to a depth of 10 to 12 inches during the first growing season.	Grows best in moist, well-drained, and organically rich soil that’s slightly acidic to neutral
Spirea	While many types of spirea can tolerate partial shade, for best foliage and flower color provide full sun.	Soil should be kept moist but not soggy.	Grow spirea in soil that’s moist and well-drained.
Forsythia	Need at least 4–6 hours of sunlight each day to flower best	Water it regularly and thoroughly during the first few years after planting, and then as needed during hot, dry spells	Prefer moist, well-drained soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH (5.0–8.0)
Chameacyparis	Can tolerate a range of sunlight conditions, but some species may have specific preferences	Water regularly to keep the soil moist but not soggy	Grows best in well-drained soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH
Thuja	Prefers full sun to partial shade	Water every day or two for the first 2-3 months, until the plants are established	Keep the soil moist but not soggy or oversaturated.
Juniper	Prefer bright light or a few hours of sun a day	Soak the soil until it’s moist at least 6-8 inches down	Prefer well-drained, moist soil that is slightly acidic and rich in organic matter.
Elaegnus	Grow best in full sun or partial shade, but they’ll be fuller and denser if planted in full sun	Should be watered once a week in the summer, and once every 2 weeks in the winter	Can grow in a variety of soil types, but they prefer well-drained soil
Yew	Full sun to full shade	When establishing yew during the first year, water it weekly to maintain even soil moisture	Thrives in rich, loamy soil with a neutral to slightly acidic soil pH
Pieris	Prefer to grow under full sunlight, getting at least six to eight hours a day	Need regular, deep watering about once a week	Prefer moist, acidic soil and partial to full sunlight
Mahonia	Partial to full shade	Water your Leatherleaf mahonia every week to maintain consistent soil moisture	Tolerate sun, but they prefer partial shade, especially during the hottest part of the day