Baffled by four-legged neighbors making a meal out of your garden? White-tailed deer, one of New York’s most common species of herbivore, can “play a role in shaping the landscape,” the state Department of Environment Conservation says, which at times competes with “human interests.”
While adorable to look at, the fairytale gets old fast when deer show up to the garden. Known to have an appetite for flowers and greens, they’ll take to your yard like they’re at a salad bar, and the produce is as fresh as it gets.
Don’t sweat the deer— get choosy about what you’re planting. And at Down to Earth Living garden center in Pomona, there are plenty of options available.
What types of plants are deer-resistant?
Plants like Salvia, also know as meadow sage, are deer-resistant, meaning the humble herbivores will avoid them.
“They come in a variety of colors, from purple to blue, to pink to white, to raspberry,” said Tina Anton of Down to Earth Living. “They’re wonderful to do as groupings… a whole field of them is beautiful, and the deer don’t really like them.” Long-blooming and easy to care for, Anton recommends them for those looking to add more deer-resistant plants to their landscape.
Other plants include springy florals and hardy evergreens.
Choose from lovely foxgloves, with tall stalks and bell-like flowers in a range of bumblebee-attracting colors (they’re toxic to animals, and people, so deer avoid them.)
If you’re looking for a flourish, perhaps forsythias are more your style— with their woody sprigs dotted with yellow blossoms (the deer hate those, too.)
The moral of the story is: gardeners can be confident “that planting (deer-resistant plants) on a Thursday— they’ll still be there on a Friday,” according to Down to Earth Living’s Stuart Leventhal.
For those looking for to landscape with some trees, Leventhal recommended spruces of the Alberta and Norway varieties. Even fragrant and colorful peonies are deer-resistant, Anton said.
All of the above flourish in New York’s climate.
While the Old Farmer’s Almanac stresses that there are “no completely deer-proof plants (if food is scarce, they’ll eat anything,)” there are lots of options to up your chances of keeping your garden glorious.
Manager Tina Anton with plants that are not preferred by deer at Down to Earth Living garden center in Pomona April 16, 2025.
Deer-resistant herbs and vegetables
Deer are less likely to eat poisonous plants, as well as fragrant plants with strong scents, such as herbs, the Old Farmer’s Almanac explains.
If you’re gardening in the Lower Hudson Valley, look for plants that thrive in your hardiness zone (the region is home to zones 6a through 7b). You can find a hardiness map at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
See a few good options below.
Sage, Russian and Garden varieties
Eager to garden? Cold-weather annual plants are perfect for early spring in NY
A juvenile white-tailed deer.
What type of deer can you see in Lower Hudson Valley?
White-tailed deer are the most common species of deer you’ll see in southeast New York, and that includes the Lower Hudson Valley.
This species is multi-talented: according to the NYDEC, they can swim, run as fast as 40 mph, and yes— jump that 8-foot-high fence you think is protecting your garden.
What do White-tailed deer eat?
According to NorthAmericanWhitetail.com, the species eats what is classified as “browse” (leaves and twigs of woody plants), “forbs” (weeds), grasses, nuts and fruits and mushrooms. The availability of their favorite snacks depend on time of year and climate.
Deer love to eat narrow-leafed evergreens, such as arborvitae and fir, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. You’ll also want to avoid hostas, daylilies and English ivy, as deer are known to show preference for those plants.
Can deer bring more ticks to your garden?
The answer is yes. Deer are known to carry blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks) from one place to the other. Deer ticks are the primary carrier of Lyme disease, so even more reason to keep the animal away from parts of the garden you’d like to enjoy (the deer themselves are not the source of Lyme, the CDC says.)
Contributing: lohud’s Peter Carr
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: These flowers and plants are deer-resistant, and thrive in NY gardens