The Best Deer-Resistant Plants for St. Louis
Deer grazing along a woodline forest creates an idyllic setting. But, this picturesque view of deer often doesn’t correspond well to our landscapes. Especially when you realize the grazing is happening on your hosta! Choosing deer-resistant plants will help you, your landscape, and the beautiful deer cohabitate.
With spring right around the corner, your landscape will be a veritable buffet for deer. It’s hard to find a home in West St. Louis County where deer haven’t terrorized the landscape. Deer prefer being next to wooded areas or in clearings where food is often more prevalent. Being that much of West County is wooded land, that makes your yard a Whole Foods wonderland!

While repellents and scare tactics may briefly keep the deer away, the best way to keep damage at a minimum is to plant what they don’t like. Choosing deer-resistant plants will allow your landscape a chance to survive and thrive. These common deer-resistant plants for St. Louis will help you get your landscape started off right.
These plants have been chosen as being the most Deer-Resistant for the St. Louis area. They are not necessarily Deer-Proof.
Perennials:
Astilbe, Astilbe spp. | Foxglove, Digitalis spp. | Pinks, Dianthus spp. |
Bee Balm, Monarda spp. | Goldenrod, Solidago spp. | Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea |
Bergenia, Bergenia spp. | Hellebore, Helleborus nigra | Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia |
Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia spp. | Hibiscus, Hibiscus spp. | Sage, Salvia spp. |
Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis | Iris, Iris spp. | Sedum, Sedum spp. |
Catmint, Nepeta spp. | Japanese Anemone, Anemone x hybrida | Shasta Daisy, Chrysanthemum |
Columbine, Aquilegia spp. | Lady’s Mantle, Alchemilla Mollis | Snakeroot, Cimicifuga racemosa |
Coreopsis, Coreopsis verticillata | Lamb’s Ear, Stachys byzantina | Snakeroot – white, Eupatorium rogosum |
Cranesbill, Geranium spp. | Lavender, Lavandula spp. | Sneezeweed, Helenium autumnale |
Euphorbia, Euphorbia spp. | Ostrich Fern, Matteuccia | Speedwell, Veronica spp. |
Foam Flower, Tiarella cordifolia | Peony, Paeonia spp. | Yarrow, Achillea spp. |
Annuals:
Ageratum, Ageratum | Flowering Tobacco, Nicotiana | Snapdragon, Antirrhinum |
Alyssum, Lobularia | Heliotrope, Heliotropium | Zinnia, Zinnia |
Begonia – wax, Begonia x | Lantana, Lantana | |
Dusty Miller, Jacobaea | Marigold, Tagetes |
Groundcover:
Bugle Weed, Ajuga spp. | Pachysandra, Pachysandra spp. | Vinca, Vinca minor |
Lily-of-the-Valley, Convallaria majalis | Sedum, Sedum spp. |
Shrubs:
Azalea – Deciduous, Rhododendron spp. | Holly – Chinese, Ilex cornuta | Lilac – common, Syringa vulgaris |
Barberry, Berberis spp. | Holly – Inkberry, Ilex glabra | Mugo Pine, Pinus mugo |
Bayberry, Myrica spp. | Holly – Japanese, Ilex crenata | Privet – golden, Ligustrum x vicaryi |
Cotoneaster, Cotoneaster spp. | Judd Viburnum, Viburnum x juddii | Smoke Bush, Cotinus spp. |
Doublefile Viburnum, Viburnum plicatum tom. | Juniper – Chinese, Juniperus chinensis | Spirea, Spiraea spp. |
Firethorn, Pyracantha spp. | Korean Spice Viburnum, Viburnum carlesii | Willow, Salix spp. |
Forsythia, Forsythia spp. | Leatherleaf Viburnum, Viburnum rhy. | Witch Hazel, Hamamelis spp. |
Trees:
Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum | Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba | Redbud, Cercis canadensis | |
Beech, Fagus sylvatica | Holly – American, Ilex opaca | Spruce, Picea spp. | |
Birch, Betula spp. | Larch, Larix spp. | Sweet Gum, Liquidambar styraciflua | |
Cherry – Japanese, Prunus serrulata | Locust – Honey, Gleditsia triacanthos | Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis | |
Dogwood – Kousa, Cornus kousa | Maple – Sugar, Acer saccharum | Tulip Tree, Liriodendron | |
Eastern Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana | Pine – Austrian, Pinus nigra |
Keep in mind, while the deer-resistant list is for plants that they do not favor to eat, they still may munch. They especially enjoy the new spring foliage that is about to appear. It also will have little to no effect on the bucks rubbing their antlers. You can minimize damage to young trees by temporarily wrapping the trunks with draintile.

While we may not get every plant we want, choosing deer-resistant plants allows us to maintain our landscapes and still enjoy the wildlife.