Deer-Resistant Bulbs
These 18 bulbs are the ones deer tend to leave alone — rated A (rarely damaged) or B (seldom damaged) in Rutgers University’s deer-resistance research. Sorted most-resistant first.
Search all 527 plants by zone →10 ways to keep deer out →Ratings come from Rutgers University’s landscape deer-resistance research. A = rarely damaged, B = seldom severely damaged. We list only A and B here — the plants deer tend to leave alone. No plant is 100% deer-proof when browse pressure is high.
| Plant | Botanical name | Deer rating | Zones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Crocus | Colchicum sp. | A · Rarely damaged | 4–9 |
| Bluebell | Endymion sp. | A · Rarely damaged | 4–9 |
| Crown Imperial, Fritilia | Fritilaria imperialis | A · Rarely damaged | 5–8 |
| Daffodil | Narcissus sp. | A · Rarely damaged | 3–9 |
| Ornamental Onion | Allium sp. | A · Rarely damaged | 3–9 |
| Siberian Squill | Scilla siberica | A · Rarely damaged | 2–8 |
| Snowdrops | Galanthus nivalis | A · Rarely damaged | 3–7 |
| Winter Aconite | Eranthus hyemalis | A · Rarely damaged | 3–7 |
| Calla Lily | Zantedeschia sp. | B · Seldom damaged | 8–11 |
| Camassia | Camassia leichtlini | B · Seldom damaged | 3–9 |
| Canna Lily | Canna sp. | B · Seldom damaged | 7–11 |
| Crocus | Crocus sp. | B · Seldom damaged | 3–8 |
| Elephant Ear | Colocasia esculenta | B · Seldom damaged | 8–11 |
| Gladiolus | Gladiolus sp. | B · Seldom damaged | 7–10 |
| Glory Lily | Gloriosa superba | B · Seldom damaged | 8–11 |
| Grape Hyacinth | Muscari sp. | B · Seldom damaged | 3–9 |
| Hyacinth | Hyacinthus sp. | B · Seldom damaged | 4–8 |
| Wood Sorrel | Oxalis sp. | B · Seldom damaged | 4–9 |
Protect what you plant
Even deer-resistant plants get browsed when deer are hungry. The proven backups:
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