Plants that critters usually avoid

Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer

Deer and rabbits are the bane of many gardeners with these critters making a lunch of their gardens. However, there are some plants that are mostly pest-resistant. This doesn't mean that deer and rabbits will never eat them. If they are hungry enough and their favorite noshes aren't available, they may just nibble away.

However, plants that are poisonous, fuzzy, prickly or have spiny foliage or a strong fragrance will deter them. Deer and rabbits will also avoid plants with tough, leathery, fine textured, or hairy features. The following are some of these plants.

Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum odoratum var. thunbergii 'Variegatum', Joanne K.

Shaggy Wood Fern, Dryopteris wallichiana, Joanne K.

Thanks to anthraquinone poison in its berries, Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum odoratum var. thunbergii 'Variegatum', is relatively pest free. A great shade plant, especially the variegated variety, this perennial has fragrant, bell-shaped flowers that may be white, green, or gold/yellow and bloom in late spring. It's drought resistant and spreads easily.

The hairy stems and rough leaf feel of the Shaggy Wood Fern, Dryopteris wallichiana, deter deer and rabbits from snacking on it. As a fern it prefers moist, well-drained soil in partial to full shade. It can be deciduous or semi-evergreen and fairly drought tolerant once established. It can grow up to 4 feet tall and provides beautiful texture in woodland gardens.

Spider Lilies, Lycoris, Joanne K.

Hellebore, Helleborus, species, Flowers and Leaves,
Joanne K.

Lycorine, an alkaloid, present in the flowers, leaves, roots, and stems of Spider Lilies, Lycoris, makes them inedible to pests. However, this alkaloid has worked as a mice-repellent in homes and been used to treat dementia and other diseases. Spider Lilies, sometimes called Surprise Lilies thanks to the sudden appearance of their flower stalks ahead of the leaves, is a perennial bulb flowering in late summer. They spread easily through bulb offshoots and prefer to be left undisturbed. Great in a pollinator garden, they attract bees, humming birds, and butterflies.

In the leaves and sap of Hellebores, Helleborus, are glycoside and saponin, highly poisonous substances in both the living and dried plants, which can cause illness and death. Deer and rabbits won't eat them. Hellebores, a perennial herbaceous evergreen, bloom in late winter and early spring with cup-shaped flowers in white, pink, red, purple, and yellow. They flourish in dappled sunlight or partial shade and spread through self-seeding.

Catmint, Nepeta 'Early Bird', Flowers and Leaves, March 28, Wake Co., NC Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Holly, Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii', Fruit and Leaves Close-up, Jim Robbins, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

The fuzzy, fragrant foliage of Catmint, Nepeta, is detested by deer, but humans find the minty-flavored leaves tasty making herbal teas from the leaves and using fresh leaves as a flavoring in cooking. Its fragrance also deters certain insects, including aphids and squash bugs. The flowers attract butterflies. This herbaceous perennial needs full sun and good drainage and is drought tolerant.

Thanks to its spiny leaves, Hollies, Ilex, are deer and rabbit resistant. As many as 14 species are native to North Carolina with many holly shrub and tree species and cultivars available in nurseries. Holly flowers are pollinated by bees, and the fruit provides nourishment for birds especially in winter.

Ornamental grasses with their finely textured foliage resist deer browsing as they prefer succulent food. Pink muhly grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris, a North American native, is a beautiful late summer flowering plant whose pink flowers create a diaphanous cloud around it. This perennial has almost no insect or disease problems and is perfect for a low-maintenance garden. Grow in full sun and well-drained soil. It tolerates heat, humidity, drought, and poor soil and is highly salt tolerant. Other ornamental grasses include Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, and Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium.

Pink Muhly Grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris, Flower and Leaves, Jim Robbins, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Visit the NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox at plants.ces.ncsu.edu for more information about the above plants.

Visit the JC Raulston Arboretum Midweek Program, "(Mostly) Pest-Free Plants", 6/4/2025, for information on other pest-resistant plants at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2z8JTXLOKw.