American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 4–7 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
New York · Zones 3–7
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in New York
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. New York sits in a landscape of Adirondacks, Finger Lakes & Hudson Valley, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid continental character. The list below — led by American Beautyberry and Foxglove Beardtongue — is filtered to species genuinely native to New York and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 3–7. 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
47 native species for New York
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–7 · see this collection in other states.
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
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 1.5–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
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
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
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
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 12–18 in tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
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
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 6–12 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
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
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–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
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Browse-resistant thanks to its scented leaves — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
23 more also qualify: Prairie Smoke, Ninebark, Sideoats Grama, Fragrant Sumac, New Jersey Tea, Spicebush, Purple Prairie Clover, Creeping Phlox, Compass Plant, Stiff Goldenrod, Wild Lupine, Virginia Creeper, Wild Ginger, Rattlesnake Master, Bearberry, Indian Grass, Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, Cinnamon Fern, Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Christmas Fern, Pennsylvania Sedge.
Sourcing
Where to find these in New York
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.