Deer-Resistant Plants for Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has one of the largest white-tailed deer populations in the US and one of the most serious deer browse problems in northeastern horticulture. Per Penn State Extension, the white-tailed deer density in some suburban and rural Pennsylvania counties exceeds 50 deer per square mile -- a.

Pennsylvania has one of the largest white-tailed deer populations in the US and one of the most serious deer browse problems in northeastern horticulture. Per Penn State Extension, the white-tailed deer density in some suburban and rural Pennsylvania counties exceeds 50 deer per square mile — a level at which even normally deer-resistant plants begin to show browse damage.

The problem is particularly acute in counties where development has reduced hunting access while increasing food sources (residential plantings, mast crops, agriculture). Centre, Chester, Montgomery, Lancaster, and York counties consistently report the highest deer-plant conflict levels.

—-

This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases - at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we have personally tested or that are the universal first recommendation from university Extension publications. See our full disclosure.

Most Reliable Deer-Resistant Plants for Pennsylvania

Per Penn State Extension, the following plants have demonstrated consistent resistance to deer browse in Pennsylvania field trials:

Bulbs

Narcissus (Daffodil) — Per Penn State, all narcissus species are reliably deer-resistant due to toxic lycorine alkaloids. Replace tulips with daffodils in open beds. On Long Island, I grow daffodils under moderate-to-heavy deer pressure and have never lost a single bulb to browsing.

Ornamental Allium — Per Penn State, ornamental alliums (Allium hollandicum, A. 'Globemaster', A. aflatunense) are reliably avoided due to allicin compounds. Plant in fall at 6-inch depth; deer ignore them even when massing in adjacent beds.

Camassia (Camassia leichtlinii, C. quamash) — Per Penn State, native camassia bulbs are reliably deer-resistant and produce blue flower spikes 18—24 inches tall in May. An underused alternative to deer-vulnerable tulips.

Perennials

Per Penn State Extension, the most consistently deer-resistant perennials in Pennsylvania:

• Catmint (Nepeta × faassenii) — strongly aromatic, consistently avoided; 'Walker's Low' is the standard landscape cultivar, growing 24—36 inches
• Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) — aromatic, rating: rarely damaged; effective in zones 4—9
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) — aromatic, toxic in large amounts
• Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) — seldom severely damaged
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) — seldom severely damaged
• Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) — rarely browsed; grasses are generally low-preference
• Blue wild indigo (Baptisia australis) — seldom severely damaged; toxic; also a nitrogen fixer
• Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) — rarely damaged; toxic alkaloids
• Ferns — most fern species are rarely browsed; Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) and cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) are good evergreen and deciduous choices respectively

Shrubs

Per Penn State Extension, the most deer-resistant shrubs for Pennsylvania:

• Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens, B. microphylla) — rarely damaged; toxic alkaloids; requires winter protection from desiccation in zone 5
• American holly (Ilex opaca) — rarely damaged; use instead of arborvitae for screens; tolerates shade and wet soils
• Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra) — rarely damaged; native; tolerates poorly drained sites
• Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) — rarely damaged; contains grayanotoxins; Pennsylvania's state flower
• Yew (Taxus spp.) — rarely damaged when established; toxic taxine alkaloids; note: the fleshy red aril (seed covering) is consumed by birds with no apparent harm, but foliage and seeds are toxic to mammals
• Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica) — seldom severely damaged; native; nitrogen-fixing; great for sandy, acidic sites
• Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) — seldom severely damaged; outstanding fall color

—-