Deer-Resistant Ferns
These 10 ferns 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Fern | Polystichum arcostichoides | A · Rarely damaged | 3–9 |
| Cinnamon Fern | Osmunda cinnamomea | A · Rarely damaged | 3–9 |
| Hayscented Fern | Dennstaedtia punctilobula | A · Rarely damaged | 3–8 |
| Holly Fern | Cyrtomium falcatum | A · Rarely damaged | 6–11 |
| Japanese Painted Fern | Athyrium goeringianum (nipponicum) | A · Rarely damaged | 4–9 |
| New York Fern | Thelyptens noveboracensis | A · Rarely damaged | 4–8 |
| Ostrich Fern | Matteuccia struthiopteris | A · Rarely damaged | 3–7 |
| Royal Fern | Osmunda regalis | A · Rarely damaged | 3–9 |
| Sensitive Fern | Onoclea sensibilis | A · Rarely damaged | 4–9 |
| Wood Fern | Dryopteris marginalis | A · Rarely damaged | 3–8 |
Protect what you plant
Even deer-resistant plants get browsed when deer are hungry. The proven backups:
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