Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 12–18 in tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
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- Pennsylvania
- Deer-resistant
Pennsylvania · Zones 5–7
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Pennsylvania's humid continental climate across Appalachian ridge-and-valley & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Wild Bleeding Heart and Wild Geranium. 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
47 native species for Pennsylvania
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 1.5–2 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Browse-resistant thanks to the strong-smelling foliage — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Browse-resistant thanks to the strong-smelling foliage — a safe bet up to 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 3–5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Browse-resistant thanks to tough, unpalatable leaves — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Browse-resistant thanks to the strong-smelling foliage — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 1.5–2.5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 6–12 in tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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
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
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of tough, unpalatable leaves.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 6–16 in tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of leaves deer find unappealing.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 4–7 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
23 more also qualify: Common Yarrow, Ninebark, Stiff Goldenrod, Creeping Phlox, New Jersey Tea, Sideoats Grama, Virginia Creeper, Purple Prairie Clover, Compass Plant, Wild Lupine, Bearberry, Wild Ginger, Spicebush, Fragrant Sumac, Rattlesnake Master, Indian Grass, Cinnamon Fern, Big Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, Christmas Fern, Pennsylvania Sedge.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Pennsylvania
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.