Deer Resistant or Not
The Arboretum has a large deer population, and through the years we have a learned a little about what they eat and what they mostly avoid. The following lists have been compiled from several sources over the years including much of our own experience. As many gardeners know, there is no such thing as a deer resistant plant. Their taste for plants changes over time, and they often try new things causing a great deal of damage before deciding not to come back for seconds. Please use this list as a starting point, and contact us at cw3zt@virginia.edu with your questions and observations. We will continue to update this list as we observe more deer browse.
Rarely Damaged Native Perennials
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
| Amsonia sp. | bluestar |
| Aquilegia sp. | columbine |
| Arisaema triphyllum | Jack-in-the-pulpit |
| Aruncus dioicus | goat’s beard |
| Asarum canadense | wild ginger |
| Ascelpias sp. | butterfly weed |
| Baptisia sp. | false indigo |
| Chrysogonum virginianum | green and gold |
| Cimicifuga racemosa | snakeroot |
| Coreopsis sp. | tickseed |
| Dicentra eximia |
fringed bleeding heart |
| Echinacea sp. | coneflower |
| Eupatorium sp. | Joe-Pye weed |
| Geranium sp. |
hardy geranium, cranesbill |
| Heuchera sp. | alumroot |
| Iris sp. | iris |
| Liatris sp. | blazing star |
| Mertensia virginica |
Virginia bluebells |
| Monarda sp. | bee balm, Bergamot |
| Opuntia humifusa |
prickly pear |
| Pycnanthemum sp. | mountain mints |
| Polemonium reptans | Jacob’s ladder |
| Rudbeckia sp. | black eye Susan |
| Solidago sp. | golden rod |
| Stokesia laevis | Stoke’s aster |
| Tiarella sp. | foam flower |
| Trillium sp. |
trillium |
Frequently Damaged Native Perennials
Aster sp. Asters are now in multiple genera including Symphyotrichum. At the Arboretum Symphyotrichum oblongifolius seem to be particularly deer resistant until Covid shut the grounds down in the spring of 2020 and they were eaten quite readily.
| Lobelia cardinalis | cardinal flower |
| Phlox sp. | phlox |
Rarely Damaged Non Native Perennials
| Achillea sp. | yarrow |
| Aconitum sp. | monkshood |
| Alchemilla mollis | lady's mantle |
| Anemone japonica | Japanese Anemone |
| Arabis sp. | rock cress |
| Armeria maritima | thrift |
| Artemisia sp. | silver mound, wormwood |
| Astilbe sp. | Astilbe |
| Dianthus sp. | pinks |
| Dicentra spectabilis | bleeding heart |
| Digitalis sp. | foxglove |
| Echinops ritro | globe thistle |
| Epimedium sp. | barrenwort |
| Helleborus orientalis | Lenten rose |
| Iberis sp. | candytuft |
| Iris sp. | Iris (bearded, Siberian, etc.) |
| Nepeta sp. | catmint |
| Papaver orientale | Oriental poppy |
| Perovskia atriplicifolia | Russian sage |
| Platycodon grandiflorus | balloon flower |
| Pulmonaria sp. | lungwort |
| Salvia sp. | perennial Salvia |
| Stachys byzantina | lamb's ear |
| Veronica sp. | Veronica |
Rarely Damaged Bulbs
| Alliums sp. | ornamental onions |
| Chionodoxa luciliae | glory-of-the-snow |
| Galanthus nivalis | snowdrop |
| Hyacinthus orientalis | hyacinth |
| Narcissus sp. | daffodils |
| Scilla sp. | squill |
Frequently Damaged Bulbs
| Crocus sp. | Crocus |
| Lillium sp. | lily |
| Tulipa sp. | tulip |
Rarely Damaged Herbs
| Agastache sp. | anise hyssop |
| Alliums sp. | chives, garlic |
| Anethum graveolens | dill |
| Lavandula sp. | lavender |
| Mentha sp. | mint |
| Origanum sp. | oregano |
| Rosmarinus sp. | Rosemary |
| Santolina chamaecyparissus | lavender cotton |
| Thymus sp. | thyme |
Rarely Damaged Native Ferns
| Adiantum pedatum | maidenhair fern |
| Athyrium filix-femina | lady fern |
| Dennstaedtia punctilobula | hay scented fern |
| Matteuccia struthiopteris | ostrich fern |
| Onoclea sensibilis | sensitive fern |
| Polystichum acrostidroides | Christmas fern |
Rarely Damaged Annuals
| Ageratum houstonianum | Ageratum |
| Antirrhinum majus | snapdragons |
| Begonia semperflorens | annual Begonia |
| Capsicum sp. | ornamental peppers |
| Cosmos bipinnatus | Cosmos |
| Salvia sp. | annual Salvia |
| Tagetes sp. | marigolds |
| Zinnia sp. | Zinnias |
Frequently Damaged Annuals
| Celosia argentea | Celosia |
| Impatiens sp. | Impatiens |
| Pentas lanceolata | Pentas |
| Petunias sp. | Petunias |
| Viola sp. | violets and Pansies |
Invasive Species List
Blandy maintains a list of invasive plant species that are commonly sold in the nursery trade. We strongly discourage the sale, purchase, planting, or propagation of any of the plants on this list as they are known to escape into natural areas and cause significant ecological damage. These invasive species outcompete native plants for resources, reduce overall biodiversity in areas where they are introduced, choke out waterways, and provide little to no benefit for native pollinators and insects. Additionally, all plants on this list may not be sold at any events hosted by Blandy, including our annual garden fair.