Protect Your Landscape Without Compromising Beauty
If you live in East Texas, then you know how beautiful—yet hungry—our local deer population can be. For gardeners, this often means chewed leaves, missing flowers, and a lot of frustration. Fortunately, there are many plants that deer tend to avoid, allowing you to enjoy a thriving flowerbed without constant worry.
Below is a region-specific list of deer-resistant plants for East Texas, grouped by light preference to help you design a more resilient and beautiful landscape.
🌞 Full Sun Deer-Resistant Plants
These plants require at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily:
- Lantana – Colorful, drought-tolerant, and avoided by deer.
- Salvia (including Autumn Sage) – Highly aromatic foliage deters browsing.
- Zinnias – Annuals with strong scent and texture.
- Yarrow – Tough, low-maintenance, and fragrant.
- Russian Sage – Airy foliage and lavender-blue flowers.
- Coreopsis – Long-blooming native wildflower.
- Rosemary – Hardy, fragrant herb with evergreen appeal.
🌤 Partial Sun / Dappled Shade
Plants in this category do best with 3–6 hours of sunlight:
- Dusty Miller – Silvery foliage that deer usually ignore.
- Shasta Daisy – Deer tend to leave this bold perennial alone.
- Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) – Resilient native wildflower.
- Echinacea (Coneflower) – Textured flowers and bitter taste.
🌑 Full Shade Deer-Resistant Plants
Ideal for 3 or fewer hours of direct sun per day:
- Ferns (Autumn or Japanese Painted Fern) – Unpalatable texture.
- Ajuga (Bugleweed) – Great groundcover with deer-deterring foliage.
- Caladiums – Colorful and usually left alone by deer.
- Heuchera (Coral Bells) – Textured leaves and compact growth.
🛡️ Tips for Additional Protection
While no plant is 100% deer-proof, these strategies can increase your flowerbed’s chances:
- Interplant aromatic species (like rosemary or lavender) throughout beds.
- Avoid lush, fertilized growth in open spaces—deer love tender new shoots.
- Try motion-sensing sprinklers or deer repellents during peak browsing season.
🌱 Want Help Choosing the Right Plants?
At Gen1 Greenhouse, we offer many of these deer-resistant varieties during our seasonal sales—most of them locally grown and acclimated to East Texas weather. Contact me today if you need help planning your next deer-smart flowerbed.
