:strip_icc()/CD_37967_preview1-283ba6a222b147d1b976264415765bf3.jpg?w=1920&resize=1920,1440&ssl=1 "20 Deer-Resistant Groundcovers for Sun and Shade")
Deer can wreak havoc on your garden so growing deer-resistant groundcovers can be a good way to avoid browsing damage. What makes these plants unattractive to deer—prickly or hairy stems or leaves, a pungent scent, or a covering of fuzzy hairs—is a win for your garden, adding charm to your landscape. Here are several good choices for both sunny and shady gardens. All have attractive foliage and most are vigorous spreaders, so keep that in mind when selecting a planting site.
Lamb’s Ear
As its name suggests, the oval leaves of lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) are covered with soft silvery-white hairs that look like fur, and deer don’t like them one little bit. This plant develops creeping stems that root where they touch the soil to form a dense mat. It can be a bit aggressive when combined with other perennials, but is easy to remove where you don’t want it, and it really holds its own when deer stop by.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 8-18 inches tall, 2-3 feet wide
Zones: 4-9
Creeping Sedum
Bob Stefko
The fleshy leaves of sedum, also called stonecrop (Hylotelephium spp.) have a bitter taste that deer don’t like. Leaves range in shape from small and needle-like to flat and paddle-shaped. The foliage color is bright green, chartreuse, soft blue- or gray-green, or deep burgundy, and there are also variegated selections. While upright types of sedum make attractive additions to mixed borders, creeping sedums make excellent choices for a groundcover in a sunny area.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; well-drained to dry soil
Size: 2-10 inches tall, 18-48 inches wide
Zones: 3-10
Ajuga
Evgeniya Vlasova
The crinkly glossy foliage of ajuga, also known as bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) forms a dense mat beneath trees and shrubs. Leaves may be green, burgundy, or variegated with splashes of pink or cream. Stems of blue flowers appear in late spring to early summer. It’s a great choice if you want a low-maintenance groundcover for an area with plenty of room for it to spread.
Growing Conditions: Part shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 2-6 inches tall, 5-18 inches wide or more
Zones: 3-10
Bugleweed may creep into your lawn or beds where it’s not wanted so plant it where you can keep it contained. It’s also considered invasive across much of the eastern half of the U.S.
Thyme
Blaine Moats
Thyme (Thymus spp.) is an excellent deer-resistant perennial that can be grown as a groundcover in sunny areas and between stepping stones in pathways or patios. It releases its warm fragrance each time it’s stepped upon, which won’t appeal at all to deer.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
Size: 2-12 inches tall, 12-24 inches wide, depending on type
Zones: 4-9
Licorice Plant
The thin trailing stems and leaves of the licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare) smell like its namesake, a scent that deer find unattractive. The leaves may be gray-green, chartreuse, or silver and are covered with fuzzy hairs, which further protects the plant from deer and other pests. Usually grown as an annual—although it is perennial in very warm regions—it makes a fast-growing groundcover for the front of a sunny bed. It is especially well adapted for areas with hot dry summers.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: 12-24 inches tall, 24 inches wide
Zones: 9-11
Licorice plant is considered invasive in parts of California.
Sweet Woodruff
Bob Stefko
The bright green leaves of sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) have a distinctive, airy appearance that adds a delicate texture as a groundcover for shady sites; it’s a fast-spreading lawn alternative under trees. The mildly fragrant leaves are sufficiently scented to keep deer at bay.
Growing Conditions: Full or part shade; moist. well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 12-24 inches wide
Zones: 4-9
Wild Ginger
The heart-shaped leaves of wild ginger (Asarum spp.) grow low to the ground and, depending on selection, can be solid green, marbled, or variegated. While the flowers aren’t very showy, they do have a subtle beauty. The plant spreads by rhizomes to create a lush groundcover in woodland gardens. Both native and non-native types are deer-resistant.
Growing Conditions: Shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 6-18 inches wide
Zones: 2-9
Lungwort
Carson Downing
The silver-spotted green leaves of lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.) add color and texture to the floor of the woodland garden. Depending on the selection, flowers may be pink, red, purple, or blue and are among the first woodland blooms to appear in spring. Plants form wide-spreading clumps, making them a good choice as a groundcover beneath shrubs or small trees.
Growing Conditions: Full to part shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 1-2 feet wide
Zones: 3-8
Epimedium
Also called barrenwort, epimedium is a deer-resistant perennial and a workhorse for the shade garden. Before the leaves are fully expanded in spring, they bear dainty sprays of small yellow, white, pink, or lilac flowers. Wiry stems support compound leaves that vary in shape, size, and color; they are evergreen in mild climates. Because they can adapt to dry shade, they’re a good choice for planting as a groundcover beneath shrubs and trees.
Growing Conditions: Full to part shade; well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 1-3 feet wide
Zones: 4-8
Pachysandra
Denny Schrock
Deer usually show no interest in pachysandra despite their browsing on plants nearby. Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) is an evergreen groundcover that creates a year-round carpet of green leaves. The scent of its white spring flowers is sometimes described as mothball-like, which deters deer. The closely related native Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) is similar but is semi-evergreen and doesn’t spread aggressively like its non-native cousin.
Growing Conditions: Full to part shade; rich, well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 12-18 inches wide, spreading by rhizomes
Zones: 4-9
Japanese pachysandra is considered invasive in parts of the Northeast.
Wintergreen
Denny Schrock
Also called eastern teaberry, wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is a great groundcover for shade gardens that offers year-round interest. The leathery green leaves of wintergreen contrast well with its white flowers in summer, followed by bright red berries in fall. The leaves often display a bronze cast in fall. Spreading by rhizomes, it forms a dense mat of mint-scented foliage that out-competes most weeds and resists deer browsing.
Growing Conditions: Dappled to part shade; well-drained soil
Size: 4-8 inches tall, 6-12 inches wide, spreading by rhizomes
Zones: 3-8
Spotted Deadnettle
Bob Stefko
Trailing stems of spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum) sport silvery foliage that’s often accented by dainty pink, white, or purple flowers from spring to summer. Though this easy-to-grow perennial is very tough, spotted deadnettle adds a delicate appearance and a splash of color when planted under shrubs or lining walkways.
Growing Conditions: Full to part shade; rich, well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 1-5 feet wide
Zones: 3-8
Spotted deadnettle can spread quickly in ideal conditions, but is easy to control. The plant has escaped cultivation across much of the Northeastern region, where it’s considered invasive.
Plumbago
Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) is also known as leadwort. This low-growing perennial boasts bright green foliage that turns red and bronze in fall and deep blue mid- to late summer flowers. In addition to being deer-resistant, plumbago is tough as nails, drought tolerant, and fast-growing, though not invasive.
Growing Conditions: Sun to part shade; well-drained soil
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 12-18 inches wide, spreads by rhizomes
Zones 5-9
Lilyturf
Marty Baldwin
Useful as a groundcover or edging plant, lilyturf (Liriope spp.) adds a grasslike texture to plantings in sun or shade. This perennial produces tufts of green or variegated leaves that stick around through most of the winter (they need to be cut back before new growth begins in spring). In summer, spikes of small attractive blue or white flowers rise above the foliage. Although considered deer-resistant, when food is sparse in winter, deer may nibble on lilyturf, but they rarely do any lasting damage.
Growing Conditions: Sun, part shade, shade; well-drained soil
Size: 12-24 inches tall and wide, spreads by rhizomes
Zones: 5-10
Creeping Juniper
Denny Schrock
It’s the prickly aromatic foliage of creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) that is off-putting to deer. With its evergreen needles and sprawling, low-growing branches, it’s a great choice for rocky slopes where few other plants will grow. It also serves as an attractive groundcover for the front of sunny shrub beds or cascading along a retaining wall. In addition to being deer-resistant, it tolerates drought and seaside conditions.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
Size: 1-1.5 feet tall, 8-10 feet wide
Zones: 3-9
Bearberry
siur / Getty Images
While bears and birds love the fruit of bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), also called kinnickinnick, this native woody groundcover is rarely touched by deer. Its small oval evergreen leaves flank low-growing, wide-spreading branches. White or pink flowers form in spring, followed by bright red berries.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; sandy, well-drained soil
Size: 4-12 inches tall, 3-6 feet wide
Zones: 2-6
Brass Buttons
BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Brass buttons (Leptinella squalida) is a very low-growing, wide-spreading New Zealand native with small evergreen fern-like leaves that range in color from and bright green to gray-green to dark purple-black. Its tiny button-like blooms are bright yellow. It’s a good option for planting between pavers, in a mixed container, or at the front of a flower bed. Spreading by rhizomes, it quickly forms a dense mat. It can spread indefinitely, so you may want to contain it to prevent its creeping into unwanted areas.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part sun; well-drained soil
Size: 1/2 to 2 inches tall and 8 to 18 inches wide
Zones: 4-10
Creeping Phlox
An adaptable flowering groundcover, creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) forms dense mats of semi-evergreen foliage. In spring, the plant is covered with clusters of fragrant pastel blooms. It is ideal for cascading over rocks or a wall and makes a colorful addition to the foreground of a perennial border. In addition to deer, creeping phlox is resistant to rabbit foraging.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil, adapts to poor soil
Size: 4 to 12 inches tall, 12 to 24 inches wide
Zones: 5-9
Perennial Geranium
Also known as cranesbill, perennial geraniums (Geranium spp.) are easy to grow and boast a variety of flower colors and leaf shapes. Some develop attractive fall foliage color. Flower colors include shades of pink, purple, blue, and white and depending on the selection, appear from early spring to fall. Deer find the scent and texture of the foliage unappealing.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; average, well-drained soil
Size: 6 to 12 inches tall, 6 to 48 inches wide
Zones: 3-9
Pennsylvania Sedge
Denny Schrock
Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) is a native deer-resistant groundcover that grows in tufts, forming loose colonies in shady gardens. Its semi-evergreen, narrow, grass-like leaves arch gracefully, providing a fine textured appearance. It spreads by rhizomes and is often grown as a lawn alternative, although it won’t tolerate much foot traffic. An excellent choice for underplanting trees and shrubs, it’s generally shunned by both deer and rabbits.
Growing Conditions: Part to full shade; well-drained to dry soil
Size: 6 to 12 inches tall and wide, spreads by rhizomes
Zones: 3-8