Critter-Resistant Plants: Bulbs and Perennials That Deer and Rodents Avoid

No plant is 100% wildlife-proof—starving animals eat anything. But choosing species they dislike dramatically reduces damage. Here's a curated list of bulbs, perennials, and shrubs that deer, rabbits, voles, and other garden pests tend to avoid. Zones reflect general hardiness; check local sources for your area.

Bulbs, Corms, Tubers

• Abyssinian Gladiolus/Sword Lily (Acidanthera murielae, Zones 7–11)
• Autumn Crocus (Colchicum spp., Zones 4–8)
• Bluebell/Hyacinth (Hyacinthus spp., Zones 4–8)
• Calla Lily (Zones 9–11)
• Canna (Zones 7–11)
• Climbing Lily (Gloriosa rothschildiana, Zones 7–11)
• Common Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis, Zones 3–8)
• Crocus tommasinianus (Zones 3–8)
• Daffodil (Narcissus spp., Zones 4–11)
• Fritillary (Fritillaria spp., Zones 4–8)
• Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa spp., Zones 4–8)
• Grape Hyacinth (Muscari spp., Zones 4–9)
• Ornamental Onion (Allium spp., Zones 4–8)
• Quamash (Camassia spp., Zones 4–8)
• Squill (Scilla spp., Zones 4–10)
• Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum spp., Zones 5–8)
• Summer Tulip (Curcuma alismatifolia, Zones 7–9)
• Winter Aconite (Eranthis spp., Zones 4–7)

Perennials

• Astilbe/False Spirea (Zones 4–9)
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia, Zones 3–9)
• Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra, Zones 3–9)
• Butterfly Plant (Buddleia, Zones 4–10)
• Cone Flower (Echinacea, Zones 3–8)
• Coral Bells (Heuchera, Zones 4–8)
• Crocosmia (Zones 5–8)
• Crownvetch (Coronilla varia, Zones 3–9)
• Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea, Zones 4–9)
• Foxtail Lilies (Eremurus, Zones 4–8)
• Gayfeather (Liatris, Zones 3–9)
• Gentian (Gentiana makinoi, Zones 6–8)
• Hardy Cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium, Zones 5–9)
• Hardy Fern (Zones 3–8)
• Hardy Fuchsia (Zones 8–10)
• Hardy Geranium/Cranesbill (Zones 4–8)
• Hardy Tall Phlox (Phlox paniculata, Zones 3–8)
• Himalayan Lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum, Zones 7–10)
• Honeysuckle (Lonicera 'serotina', Zones 3–8)
• Hydrangea (Zones 4–8/9)
• Spring Star Flower (Ipheion spp., Zones 4–9)
• Larkspur (Delphinium, Zones 3–9)
• Lily of the Valley (Zones 2–7)
• Louisiana Iris (Zones 4–10)
• Peony (Paeonia, Zones 3–9)
• Periwinkle (Vinca minor, Zones 4–9)
• Prairie Mallow (Sidalcea, Zones 5–9)
• Rock Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides, Zones 3–9)
• Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia, Zones 5–9)
• Sage (Salvia, Zones 4–9)
• Sambucus nigra (Zones 4–9)
• Sea Holly (Eryngium, Zones 5–8)
• Sedum (Zones 4–8)
• Shamrock/Sorrel (Oxalis spp., Zones 7–10)
• Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica, Zones 3–9)
• Snowflake (Leucojum spp., Zones 4–8)
• Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica, Zones 4–10)
• Thymus praecox (Zones 3–8)
• Tritoma (Kniphofia, Zones 6–9/10)
• Trumpet Creeper (Campsis, Zones 6–10)
• Verbascum (Zones 5–10)
• Veronica (Zones 4–7)

Zones from national catalogs and extension fact sheets; may vary by cultivar. Combine with fencing, repellents, and habitat modification for best results.