Deer-Resistant Groundcovers
These 14 groundcovers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Spurge | Pachysandra procumbens | A · Rarely damaged | 5–9 |
| Barrenwort | Epimedium sp. | A · Rarely damaged | 4–8 |
| Bearberry | Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | A · Rarely damaged | 2–6 |
| Bishop's Weed | Aegopodium podagaria | A · Rarely damaged | 3–9 |
| Bugleweed | Ajuga reptans | A · Rarely damaged | 3–10 |
| Lily of the Valley | Convallaria majalis | A · Rarely damaged | 2–7 |
| Pachysandra | Pachysandra terminalis | A · Rarely damaged | 4–8 |
| Spotted Deadnettle | Lamium sp. | A · Rarely damaged | 3–8 |
| Sweet Woodruff | Galium odoratum (Asperula odorata) | A · Rarely damaged | 4–8 |
| Creeping Wintergreen | Gaultheria procumbens | B · Seldom damaged | 3–8 |
| Large Periwinkle | Vinca major | B · Seldom damaged | 6–9 |
| Lilyturf | Liriope sp. | B · Seldom damaged | 5–10 |
| Periwinkle | Vinca minor | B · Seldom damaged | 4–9 |
| Plumbago | Ceratostigma plumbaginoides | B · Seldom damaged | 5–9 |
Protect what you plant
Even deer-resistant plants get browsed when deer are hungry. The proven backups:
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