Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Maryland · Zones 6–8
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Maryland
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. Every species here is genuinely native to Maryland and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–8 — proven performers for Maryland's humid, four-season climate across Piedmont & Chesapeake Coastal Plain, not a generic list. Local standouts include Foxglove Beardtongue and American Beautyberry. 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
41 native species for Maryland
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 3–5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 2–5 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 3–5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
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 Jun–Sep
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of aromatic foliage.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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
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
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
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
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 1–2 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
17 more also qualify: Wild Ginger, Virginia Creeper, Creeping Phlox, Fragrant Sumac, Spicebush, New Jersey Tea, Wild Lupine, Rattlesnake Master, Stiff Goldenrod, Prairie Dropseed, Christmas Fern, Pennsylvania Sedge, Cinnamon Fern, Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Indian Grass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Maryland
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.