Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 12–18 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Louisiana · Zones 8–9
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Louisiana
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. For Louisiana, the right natives are shaped by Mississippi Delta & Gulf Coast Prairie and a hot, humid subtropical climate. Every species below, from Wild Bleeding Heart and Butterfly Weed to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Louisiana and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–9. No plant is truly deer-proof when winters are hard and the herd is hungry, but deer reliably avoid aromatic foliage (mints and salvias), fuzzy or coarse leaves, and toxic or bitter sap. Lean on those traits, plant the few irresistible things close to the house, and a new bed will sail through its first season far more often than not.
The plants
44 native species for Louisiana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–9 · see this collection in other states.
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1.5–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 4–7 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1.5–2 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 2–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 6–12 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of aromatic foliage.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Aromatic foliage keeps the deer off, 2–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Deer tend to walk past the strong-smelling foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 2–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 3–5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
20 more also qualify: Compass Plant, Sideoats Grama, Rattlesnake Master, Virginia Creeper, Spicebush, Fragrant Sumac, Stiff Goldenrod, Purple Prairie Clover, Wild Lupine, Creeping Phlox, New Jersey Tea, Blue Grama, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, Christmas Fern, Prairie Dropseed, Pennsylvania Sedge, Cinnamon Fern, Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Louisiana
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.