Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 6–12 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Oklahoma · Zones 6–8
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Oklahoma
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. Oklahoma sits in a landscape of Cross Timbers & mixedgrass prairie, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its continental, hot summers character. The list below — led by Foamflower and Wild Geranium — is filtered to species genuinely native to Oklahoma and the wider flora of the Great Plains and hardy through zones 6–8. 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
50 native species for Oklahoma
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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
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
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
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- 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
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of coarse, bitter foliage.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of aromatic foliage.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
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
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 2–5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1.5–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep 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 coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 2–4 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of its scented leaves.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Deer tend to walk past its scented leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 4–7 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
26 more also qualify: Pink Muhly Grass, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Dense Blazing Star, Virginia Bluebells, Compass Plant, Fragrant Sumac, Virginia Creeper, Rattlesnake Master, New Jersey Tea, Purple Prairie Clover, Creeping Phlox, Ninebark, Stiff Goldenrod, Sideoats Grama, Wild Ginger, Spicebush, Blue Grama, Wild Lupine, Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Cinnamon Fern, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed, Christmas Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Oklahoma
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.