Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Missouri · Zones 5–7
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Missouri
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 Missouri and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Missouri's humid continental to subtropical climate across Ozarks, glades & prairie, not a generic list. Local standouts include Wild Columbine and Pink Muhly Grass. 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
51 native species for Missouri
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
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
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1.5–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
The strong-smelling foliage keeps the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
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 Sep–Nov
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 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
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
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 6–12 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 1.5–2 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Deer tend to walk past its scented leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Browse-resistant thanks to the strong-smelling foliage — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 12–18 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Deer tend to walk past the strong-smelling foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 3–5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 4–7 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 6–12 in tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
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 May–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
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
27 more also qualify: Golden Alexanders, Culver's Root, Prairie Smoke, Butterfly Weed, Spicebush, Purple Prairie Clover, Bearberry, Ninebark, Compass Plant, Rattlesnake Master, Fragrant Sumac, New Jersey Tea, Wild Ginger, Wild Lupine, Sideoats Grama, Stiff Goldenrod, Virginia Creeper, Blue Grama, Creeping Phlox, Christmas Fern, Cinnamon Fern, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Pennsylvania Sedge, Indian Grass, Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Missouri
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.