8 Reliable Deer-Resistant Annuals

For the past few years I have helped plant and maintain the flower planters in my little town. The stone planters stand waist high, exactly the right height for browsing deer, who come and go like ghosts in the night. Until we switched to more deer-resistant flowers, we fed the deer dozens of pansies, geraniums and other beautiful summer flowers.

Fortunately, there are a number of deer-resistant annuals from which to choose, including the eight described below. In most cases, the same compounds in leaves that make plants unpalatable to deer also deter feeding by rabbits and squirrels. You can plant these flowers with confidence that they won’t be mistaken for midnight snacks by curious animals.

1. Ageratum

Ageratum houstonianum

Commonly called floss flower, ageratum blooms in shades of blue, white or pink. Most varieties have a compact, dwarf growing habit, but tall varieties like Blue Planet produce long stems for cutting. Animals seldom take a second taste of ageratum because the extremely bitter leaves are loaded with pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can cause serious liver damage. Native to Mexico and Central America, ageratum holds up to heat waves when given sufficient water.

2. Alyssum

Lobularia maritima

Dainty sweet alyssum is far from poisonous, and the fragrant white, pink or purple flowers are considered edible. But be aware that this deer-resistant flower contains a buffet of acids that give the leaves a pungent, peppery flavour. Sweet alyssum tastes like pepperweed to an animal, so after one bite they tend to pass it by.

Whether you grow it in containers or beds, sweet alyssum is a useful companion plant in the garden because it attracts hoverflies, ladybeetles, and other aphid predators. This really works! A three year study from Poland found that intercropping broad beans with sweet alyssum controlled black bean aphids as well as chemical pesticides.

3. Dusty Miller

Jacobaea maritima, formerly Senecio cineraria

The gray felted leaves of dusty miller positively glow when used in mixed plantings or for edging beds, where they also unify the colors and textures of other plants. Often called silver ragwort, dusty miller produces clusters of small yellow flowers late in the season or in its second year, provided the plants survive winter. The flowers are not nearly as showy as the silvery leaves.

Should an animal take a taste of dusty miller, they will immediately be irritated by the furry leaf hairs, followed by a jolt of vibrant bitterness from pyrrolizidine alkaloids. In other nature notes, entomologists think that some bees may gather leaf hairs from dusty miller for building their nests.

4. Marigolds

Tagetes species

When the first pansies we planted in the town planters got eaten, an unknown citizen plugged small-flowered marigolds into the ruined planters. I left the marigolds in place as I added more flowers, and they stood their ground all season long. We now use lots of dwarf marigolds because they are such easy and dependable deer-resistant flowers. They also stand up well to wind.

Marigold leaves are loaded with terpenes, which you can smell by bushing your hand through the foliage. Marigolds’ distinctive aromas deter deer, rabbits, and many insects as well.

5. Nicotiana

Nicotiana alata

Commonly called jasmine tobacco, nicotiana produces tubular flowers that become fragrant in the evening. Tall-growing white and lime green selections tend to have the strongest fragrance, and are well worth the trouble of starting from seed. The sticky leaves of garden nicotiana are laced with nicotine, anabasine and other compounds that make them toxic to people and pets, but they taste terrible so accidents rarely happen.

Note that nicotiana is related to tomatoes, and can serve as an alternate host plant for tomato hornworms. This is good news, because the hornworms are easy to spot and hand pick from nicotiana’s large leaves.

6. Snapdragon

Antirrhinum majus

In addition to its use as a garden flower, snapdragons have historically been used to treat scurvy, tumors, and other serious ailments. Recent research has shown that snapdragons do have medicinal properties, which is not surprising since they are distantly related to mulleins, mints, and other medicinal plants. Both the leaves and flowers taste extremely bitter. Animals find them unpalatable.

7. Strawflower

Xerochrysum bracteatum, formerly Helichrysum bracteatum

The beautiful garden strawflower, also called golden everlasting, is native to Australia, where simply staying alive is a major feat. To discourage nibblers, strawflowers have leaves loaded with bitter compounds and fibrous flowers and stems. What appear to be petals are really dry bracts, which close up over the precious florets at night or during rainy weather.

Strawflowers grow as perennials where winters are mild, but in most areas it’s a warm-season annual to grow from seed. Grow strawflowers as you would zinnias, but expect the bloom time to be a bit shorter, about a month. Gathering stems for drying can extend the plants’ bloom time.

8. Annual Vinca

Catharanthus roseus

Often called bright eyes or Madagascar periwinkle, annual vinca keeps blooming through the worst heat waves, and seldom complains about drought. Plants are available in a range of colours, and they are easy to start from seed. A top deer-resistant annual, glossy vinca leaves have yielded several compounds used to treat cancer. However, the leaves and flowers contain potent liver toxins, so they should never be consumed.

Plants Related to this Article

Ageratum Grow Guide

Alyssum Grow Guide

Marigold Grow Guide