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
Montana · Zones 3–5
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Montana
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. Montana sits in a landscape of Northern Rockies & Great Plains steppe, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its cold, semi-arid character. The list below — led by Wild Bergamot and Showy Goldenrod — is filtered to species genuinely native to Montana and the wider flora of the Mountain West and hardy through zones 3–5. 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
42 native species for Montana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Browse-resistant thanks to aromatic foliage — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 3–6 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 3–5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 3–5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 5–9 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 2–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 1.5–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jul
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–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
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of aromatic foliage.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
18 more also qualify: Aromatic Aster, Stiff Goldenrod, Sideoats Grama, Blue Grama, Ninebark, Oregon Grape, Purple Prairie Clover, Rattlesnake Master, Compass Plant, Bearberry, Fragrant Sumac, Virginia Creeper, New Jersey Tea, Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Montana
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.