Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Tennessee · Zones 6–8
Deer-Resistant Native Plants in Tennessee
Native plants deer tend to walk past — the aromatic, fuzzy, and bitter-leaved species that survive where browsing is heavy. For Tennessee, the right natives are shaped by Cumberland Plateau, Ridge & Valley, cedar glades and a humid, four-season climate. Every species below, from Culver's Root and Wild Bleeding Heart to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Tennessee and the wider flora of the Southeast 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
48 native species for Tennessee
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 12–18 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 2–5 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
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 aromatic foliage — a safe bet up to 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Coarse, bitter foliage keeps the deer off, 3–5 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
One deer reliably leave alone, on the strength of its scented leaves.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Deer tend to walk past coarse, bitter foliage — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 6–12 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
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 Jun–Sep
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1–2 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 2–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 6–12 in tall and rarely touched.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Deer tend to walk past tough, unpalatable leaves — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Leaves deer find unappealing keep the deer off, 2–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 6–16 in tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Tough, unpalatable leaves keep the deer off, 1.5–3 ft tall and rarely touched.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Deer tend to walk past leaves deer find unappealing — dependable where browsing is heavy, at 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Browse-resistant thanks to coarse, bitter foliage — a safe bet up to 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Browse-resistant thanks to leaves deer find unappealing — a safe bet up to 4–7 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
24 more also qualify: Golden Alexanders, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Wild Ginger, Spicebush, Compass Plant, Virginia Creeper, Stiff Goldenrod, Bearberry, Fragrant Sumac, Sideoats Grama, Purple Prairie Clover, Wild Lupine, New Jersey Tea, Creeping Phlox, Rattlesnake Master, Ninebark, Big Bluestem, Cinnamon Fern, Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Christmas Fern, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Pennsylvania Sedge.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Tennessee
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.