Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Delaware · Zone 7
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Delaware
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. Every species here is genuinely native to Delaware and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Delaware's mild, humid climate across Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Foamflower and Great Blue Lobelia. No plant is truly deer-proof when winters are hard and the herd is hungry, but deer reliably avoid aromatic foliage (mints and salvias), fuzzy or coarse leaves, and toxic or bitter sap. Lean on those traits, plant the few irresistible things close to the house, and a new bed will sail through its first season far more often than not.
The plants
41 native species for Delaware
Each one native to your region and hardy in zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 12–18 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Its scented leaves keep the deer off, 2–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 4–7 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 2–5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 2–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 1.5–2 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 1–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Deer tend to walk past aromatic foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 3–5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 30–50 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
17 more also qualify: Creeping Phlox, Wild Ginger, Rattlesnake Master, Ninebark, New Jersey Tea, Stiff Goldenrod, Wild Lupine, Fragrant Sumac, Spicebush, Switchgrass, Big Bluestem, Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed, Christmas Fern, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Cinnamon Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Delaware
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.