What Deer and Rabbits Eat First (and What They Leave Alone)
I used to believe those plant tags.
“Deer resistant,” they promised in tidy print, as if that were a contract.
The deer did not agree.
Over time, I’ve learned that “resistant” is a flexible term, especially in a Rhode Island garden bordered by woods and long winters.
Some plants are ignored completely.
Some are sampled politely.
And some are reduced to stems, flowers neatly guillotined overnight.
Do rabbits eat dianthus?
Yes—sometimes. In my garden, rabbits will often eat the young, tender growth of dianthus flowers, especially in early spring, when food is scarce.
"Resistant” doesn’t always mean safe. It just means they might not start there.
Here’s what they’ve mostly ignored here—hellebore, daffodil, lavender, salvia, catmint, and boxwood—but no plant is completely deer- or rabbit-proof.
For what has actually held up, what hasn’t, and how I manage deer and rabbits browsing in my garden, keep reading, or go straight to what’s actually helped here.
This list continues to evolve as I test and observe what holds up in my Zone 7A coastal garden.
Roses (Rosa) protected with bird netting, one of the many methods I use to keep deer from browsing. Photo by Parsley & Petal.
What Plants Are Deer and Rabbit Resistant? (Quick List)
If you’re looking for a quick answer, these are the plants I reach for first, because they’ve actually held up under real deer and rabbit pressure.
Daffodil (Narcissus)
Iris (Iridaceae)
Bigroot Geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum)
Peony (Paeonia)
Russian Sage (Perovskia)
Lavender (Lavandula)
Forsythia (Forsythia)
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
If you’re just looking for the short list, it’s above. If you want what’s actually held up here—and what hasn’t—keep reading.
A quick note: the biggest difference hasn’t just been plant choice. It’s been placement and protection. I break that down below.
Deer and Rabbit Resistant Plants That Actually Survive
Not untouched in theory, untouched in practice. Or at least consistently passed over. From early spring through late fall, these carry the garden without interruption.
Deer and Rabbit Resistant Perennials
These are the deer and rabbit resistant perennials that have regularly survived here.
Hellebore / Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis)
One of the earliest bloomers in my garden, and one of the few shade plants in my mostly sunny space. Survives tough winters and troublesome wildlife.
Daffodil (Narcissus)
Completely reliable. I’ve stopped worrying about them.
Iris (Iridaceae)
Never disturbed.
Bigroot Geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum)
A reliable groundcover, always intact.
Peony (Paeonia)
Foliage and buds left alone.
Russian Sage (Perovskia)
Strong scent. Zero interest.
Salvia (Salvia)
Never sampled.
Catmint (Nepeta)
Never touched, even when planted beside more tempting neighbors.
Lavender (Lavandula)
Strong aroma. Consistently avoided.
Tickseed (Coreopsis)
Always standing.
Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
Fuzzy to the touch; consistently ignored.
Hyssop (Agastache)
Licorice scent. No bites.
Montauk Daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum)
Hardy. Thumbs up.
Peonies (Paeonia) are among the perennials deer consistently leave alone in my garden. Photo by Parsley & Petal.
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Shrubs I Don’t Worry About (Much)
This mix of early bloomers and evergreen structure has held its shape without much intervention, even along the edges where browsing pressure is highest.
Forsythia (Forsythia)
One of spring’s earliest blooming shrubs and never harmed.
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Lovely scent. Always avoided.
Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria)
Not bothered.
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
Largely left alone, even in winter. (I no longer plant them due to boxwood blight.)
Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra)
Dependable, especially near woodland edges.
Juniper (Juniperus)
Ignored here.
The Ones They Test—But Usually Leave Standing
These get nibbled, especially early in the season, but rarely enough to ruin them.
Perennials
Ornamental onion (Allium)
Despite their reputation, mine are occasionally nibbled, even varieties like ‘Purple Sensation,’ ‘Millennium,’ ‘Serendipity,’ and ‘Blue Globe.’
Pinks (Dianthus)
Sometimes munched on by rabbits, but not deer.
Avens (Geum)
Occasionally chewed.
Stonecrop (Sedum)
Browsed lightly.
Garden mums (Chrysanthemum)
Sampled in late season.
Japanese anemone (Anemone hupehensis)
I grow ‘Honorine Jobert,’ which blooms for weeks in fall and is one of my favorites. Rabbits will occasionally take a bloom or two.
Shrubs
Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)
Generally safe, though tender new growth can be sampled.
Mophead hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
More vulnerable, especially before bloom.
Yew (Taxus baccata)
Highly toxic, yet deer will browse in winter. It recovers.
‘Tater Tot’ arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
Untouched for years, but deer took a noticeable bite this winter. Given how often they damage arborvitae locally, I’m watching these.
Plants Deer and Rabbits Frequently Destroy
Reduced to stems overnight.
Perennials
Daylily (Hemerocallis)
New growth disappears quickly.
Plantain lily (Hosta)
A deer favorite, possibly tied with roses.
Rose (Rosa)
Relentless.
Asiatic lily (Lilium asiatica)
Why do I bother? Because they were among the first things I planted, a gift from my mom, so I protect them from both deer and rabbits.
Clematis (Clematis)
Rabbits love them.
Yarrow (Achillea)
Often stripped.
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Regularly browsed.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Not safe here.
Shrubs
Azalea (Rhododendron)
Winter damage is common.
What’s worked for me isn’t a fixed list. It’s a pattern.
I’ve been making these planting decisions in real time in my own garden—what actually holds up under deer pressure, and what doesn’t.
If you want to see how I’m adjusting things in real time—what I’m planting, moving, and watching as the season unfolds—get The Seasonal Edit below:
These are the questions I find myself answering most often, both in my garden and beyond.
Deer and Rabbit Resistant Plants: Frequently Asked Questions
What’s eating my plants? How to tell the difference between deer and rabbit damage.
A quick way I tell the difference: deer tend to browse higher up and leave jagged, uneven tears (they lack front teeth), while rabbits stay low and make clean, almost perfectly angled cuts.
Do rabbits eat sedum?
Generally, no. They dislike the tough leaves.
Is catmint (Nepeta) deer resistant?
Yes. Nepeta is reliably deer- and rabbit-resistant thanks to its strong, minty scent.
What eats black-eyed Susans?
Rabbits love to snack on mine.
What plants do deer and rabbits leave alone?
In my garden, it’s rarely about a single plant. It’s about patterns. Plants with a strong scent, fuzzy foliage, or toxicity tend to be ignored. The most reliable are the ones listed above: hellebores, daffodils, lavender, salvia, and catmint, among them.
What Actually Works to Protect Plants from Deer and Rabbits in a Northeast Garden
Repellents I Tried (and Why They Failed)
After about a year or two of living in deer and rabbit country, I stopped trusting those labels. I knew those deer and rabbits were coming. So I started experimenting.
I tried almost everything — short of calling Animal Control or resorting to actual voodoo.
Cinnamon.
Cayenne pepper.
Homemade rotten egg mixtures.
Noise machines.
German Shepherd fur tucked into beds.
A radio left playing overnight.
Irish Spring shavings scattered like some suburban spell.
Some of it worked briefly. Most of it did not.
What I’ve learned is this: if they’re hungry enough, novelty does not matter.
What Finally Helped
Over time, I stopped trying to save every square foot of the garden.
I still plant the things I love. I’ve just learned where they belong.
Tender favorites and high-value targets now live in containers on the deck, where deer and rabbits can’t reach them. The yarrow, some of the roses and clematis I refuse to give up —they’re elevated or behind discreet fencing, protected and thriving.
At the outer edges of the garden, near the woods, I’ve taken a different approach.
There, I sometimes plant sacrificial favorites: daylilies, black-eyed Susans, or sedum. Plants I can easily propagate or divide, that I know I can easily replace.
Plants I know they prefer and that draw attention away from more structured beds. It doesn’t stop browsing entirely, but it often slows it down. The first bite happens at the perimeter instead of at the heart of the garden.
That shift changed everything.
The garden feels calmer when I stop trying to outwit hunger and start designing around it.
In the end, the solution wasn’t a clever one. It was layered.
A combination of:
Discreet fencing
Bird netting in vulnerable areas
Decorative gate panels where browsing is heaviest.
Garden cloches over tender growth and favorites. These cloches are nice because they are extra large, and this version is great because the bird detail is charming. Both give a vintage-inspired feel to the garden. To protect slightly bigger plants, I use this, because it blends right in.
Consistent deer and rabbit repellent, rotated and reapplied
Strategic container and garden bed plantings
It isn’t invisible. But it works.
And working is what matters.
I haven’t stopped planting what I love.
I’ve simply learned where to plant it, how to protect it, and when to let go.
There are still mornings when something disappears overnight. But there are far more mornings when the catmint is blooming, the peonies are untouched, and the structure of the garden holds.
That’s enough.
Protecting my garden from wildlife is just one of the ways I take care of my outdoor living space. If you want to read more about my broader seasonal approach, I write about it in The Seasonal Edit series.
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The Seasonal Edit
The Seasonal Edit is a recurring garden checklist of what’s emerging, what can wait, and what deserves attention now. Practical tasks. Clear structure. Timed to the season as it unfolds.
Suggested Reading:
If you’re dealing with deer and rabbit pressure in your garden, these may be helpful next:
Do Deer Eat Hydrangeas? What to Expect (and What I’ve Learned)
How I Prune Hydrangeas in My Rhode Island Garden (Mophead & Panicle Guide)
Hellebores (Helleborus orientalis) An Early Spring Deer-Resistant Perennial