Compiled by Nancy Bremner
The challenges of gardening in a Manitoba region well-populated with deer led Nancy Bremner to seek out “deer-resistant” garden plants. The following plant list is the result of years of experimenting by her.
Please note that the attribute "deer-resistant" describes only those plants that are least likely to be damaged by deer. Selection of food plants by deer can vary greatly across regions and seasons. Plants unappealing to deer in one season may be more tempting during times of food scarcity.
| Achillea spp. | Yarrow – all kinds |
| Aconitum napellus | Common monkshood |
| Actaea rubra | Red baneberry |
| Agastache foeniculum | Giant hyssop |
| Alchemilla mollis | Lady's mantle |
| Alyssum maritimum | Alyssum |
| Anaphalis margaritacea | Pearly everlasting |
| Antennaria dioica | Pussy toes |
| Antennaria pulcherimma | Showy pussy toes |
| Anthemis tinctoria | Golden marguerite |
| Antirrhinum majus | Snapdragons |
| Armeria maritima | Sea or common thrift |
| Artemisia absinthium | "Lambrook Silver" wormwood |
| Artemisia schmidtrana | Silver mound |
| Artemisia stelleranna | Beach wormwood |
| Aruncus dioicus | Goatsbeard |
| Astilbe tacquetii superba | Astilbe |
| Calendula officinalis | Calendula |
| Caltha palustris | Marsh marigold |
| Campunula rotundifolia | Harebells |
| Cerastium tomentosum | Snow-in-summer |
| Chrysanthemum coccineum | Pyrethrum |
| Chrysanthemum superbum | Shasta daisy |
| Corydalis lutea | Yellow corydalis |
| Dianthus caryophyllaccae deltoides | Pink family |
| Echinacea spp. | Coneflower |
| Erigeron philadelphicus | Philadelphia fleabane |
| Eryngium planum | Sea holly |
| Euphorbia epithymoides | Cushion spurge |
| Euphorbia polychroma | Euphorbia |
| Fragaria virginiana | Wild strawberry |
| Gaillardia grandiflora | Blanketflower |
| Galium boreale | Northern bedstraw |
| Goniolimon tataricum | Tatarian statice |
| Helichrysum spp. | Everlastings |
| Hemerocallis spp. | Daylily |
| Iridaceae spp. | Iris |
| Lavandula spp. | Lavender |
| Limonium sinuata | Statice |
| Lobelia tenuior, erinus | Lobelia |
| Lychnis coronaria | Rose campion |
| Lysimachia nummularia | Creeping jenny, moneywort |
| Matteuccia struthiopteris | Ostrich fern |
| Monarda didyma | Bee balm |
| Narcissus spp. | Daffodils |
| Nasturtium | Nasturtium |
| Nepeta mussinii | Catmint |
| Oenothera spp. | Primrose |
| Paeonia spp. | Peony |
| Papaver nudicaule | Icelandic poppy |
| Papaver orientale | Oriental poppy |
| Papaver spp. | All annual poppies |
| Perovskia atriplicifollia | Russian sage |
| Petalostemon candidum | White prairie clover |
| Petalostemon purpureum | purple prairie clover |
| Portulaca grandiflora | Portulaca |
| Potentilla tridentate | Three-toothed cinquefoil |
| Primula spp. | English primrose |
| Pulmonaria | Mrs. Moon, Bethlehem sage |
| Salvia patens | Salvia |
| Sedum spp. | Stonecrop |
| Senecio cineraria | Dusty miller |
| Stachys byzantians | Lamb's ear |
| Tagetes signata | Marigold gem series |
| Tanacetum vulgare var. | Crispum Tansy |
| Thalictium rochebrunianum | Meadowrue |
| Thermopsis rhombiflora | Golden-bean |
| Thymus serpyllum | Mother-of-thyme |
| Veronica spicata | Speedwell |
| Veronica virginicia | Culver's root |
Deer-resistant native and ornamental grasses
| Agrostis scabra | Hair grass |
| Andropogon gerardi | Big bluestem |
| Bouteloua gracilis | Blue grama grass |
| Festuca glauca | Blue fescue |
| Helictotrichon sempervirens | Blue oat grass |
| Hierochloe odorata | Sweet grass |
| Koeleria cristata | June grass |
| Molina caerulea variegata | Moor grass |
| Schizachyrium scoparium | Little bluestem |
| Sisyrinchium montanum | Common blue-eyed grass |
Occasionally nibbled plants
| Astilbe tacquetii superba | Astilbe |
| Aquilegia Canadensis | Common columbine |
| Caltha palustris | Marsh marigold |
| Daffodils | Daffodils |
| Dicentra spp. | Bleeding heart |
| Echinacea | Coneflower |
| Eryngium planum | Sea holly |
| Eupatorium purpureum | Joe Pye weed |
| Gaillardia grandiflora | Blanket flower |
| Liatris spicata | Gay feather |
| Linum perenne | Perennial flax |
| Lychnis chalcedonia | Maltese cross |
| Lychnis coronaria oculata | Rose blush |
| Monarda didyma | Bee balm |
| Osmorrhiza longistylis | Sweet cicely |
| Veronica spicata | Speedwell |
| Viola spp. | Violet |