Is wildlife a problem in your garden? It certainly is for us. However, there are certain perennial plants that the animals simply do not touch. At least based upon experience in our USDA Zone 6b garden. In this article, you will read about nine wonderful perennial flowers that animals will not devour.
We live in a neighborhood where many different types of wildlife routinely make their way through our yard. This includes deer, groundhogs, fox, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, and cats. The most damaging of these are deer and groundhogs. To protect the vegetable garden, we have a 6-foot fence to keep the deer out. To deter the groundhogs, we installed a solar-powered electric fence around the perimeter of the vegetable garden. So great, checkmark for the vegetable garden.
However, we have not been able to protect the flowers and shrubs in the rest of our yard from deer and groundhogs. As I lamented over our echinacea (coneflowers) being eaten by the groundhogs and the deer eating our hydrangeas and phlox, I did find a few bright spots. Those bright spots are the focus of this article, nine wonderful perennial flowers that animals will not devour(at least the animals I mentioned above). The common thread among these nine wonderful flowers is that they all prefer full sun.
Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
1. Catmint (Nepeta)
What a lovely and easy to care for plant. Before purchasing catmint, I routinely admired this plant. Wherever I saw it growing, it always looked lovely. Catmint has been a great addition to our garden this year. There are many varieties of Catmint. The variety we planted in our garden is ‘Cat’s Meow’. Cat’s Meow will grow 20” tall and up to 36” wide. In its first year of growth, we noticed the spread to 36” wide.
An herbaceous perennial, Catmint in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Catmint requires full sun and is drought tolerant once established. It can be grown in the ground or in containers. If you prune flowers as they begin to fade, new growth is encouraged. Because catmint spreads via a clumping habit, be mindful of the spacing recommendations.
Lastly, catmint does not seem to have any significant pest or disease problems. In addition, it repels aphids and squash bugs. It’s a great plant in a butterfly garden, an edible garden, or a pollinator garden. Catmint is hardy from USDA Zone 3-8.
2. Coreopsis verticillata
Two varieties of Coreopsis, Zagreb and Grandiflora, have been growing in our yard for over 10 years. Coreopsis is an easy to grow, low maintenance, sun-loving perennial. An herbaceous perennial, Coreopsis in the Asteraceae family. The two varieties planted in our gardens are as follows:
- Tickseed (Coreopsis Zagreb) thrives in poor sandy or rocky soil and prefers full sun. It’s tolerant of drought, heat, and humidity. Zagreb can readily spread in the garden via rhizomes (modified stems running underground) and self-seeding. Pruning dead flowers can limit the self-seeding nature of the plant. A good shearing mid-summer will encourage a fall re-blooming. Zagreb grows in dense bushy clumps with a spread of 1.5 feet and a height of 1-1.5 feet. The flowers are bright daisy-like yellow with a small diameter of 1-2 inches. The leaves are narrow and finely textured. Zagreb is hardy from USDA Zone 3-9 and blooms from May until early fall.
- Threadleaf (Coreopsis Grandiflora) also thrives in poor sandy or rocky soil with good drainage. It prefers full sun and is tolerant of drought, heat, and humidity. Deadheading of spent flowers is recommended to encourage reblooming and prevent self-seeding. As with Zagreb, Grandiflora can also spread with rhizomes (modified stems running underground). Grandiflora grows in dense bushy clumps with a spread of 1.5 feet and a height of 1.5-2.5 feet. The flowers are bright daisy-like yellow with a small diameter of 2-3 inches. Grandiflora is hardy from USDA Zone 4-9 and blooms from June through August.
Coreopsis has no serious insect or disease problems. In addition, Coreopsis tolerates rabbits, deer, and groundhogs. In our garden, nothing seems to bother the Coreopsis.
3. Garden Sage (Salvia nemorosa)
Caradonna is the variety growing in our backyard garden for the past 3 years. An herbaceous perennial, Salvia is in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Salvia requires full sun and is drought tolerant once established. Its flowers are lavender to violet-blue and form upright spike-like flower clusters along a central stem rising well above the foliage. Caradonna is a many-branched, clump-forming perennial. In late spring, the many branches will begin to form and grow from 1-2 feet tall and wide. The plant needs regular moisture and pruning to bloom all summer.
Mid to late summer, the plants can begin to flop (e.g., the branches fall to the ground). If the plant becomes unsightly, prune down to the base of the clump. At the end of the season, I prune each plant down to a small clump. Salvia Caradonna is hardy from Zone 4-8 and blooms from June through September. Salvia tolerates rabbits, deer, and groundhogs.
4. Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
This plant has been growing in our backyard for at least the past 10 years. While I am not 100% sure of the variety, my guess would be ‘Filagran’. An herbaceous perennial, Russian Sage is in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Russian Sage requires full sun and is drought tolerant once established. It’s valued for its long-season bloom in the summer garden. The plants do tend to flop over as the season progresses but this is part of their beauty.
Spikes of small bluish-lavender flowers bloom all summer long. The stems of Russian sage are equally notable with fragrant greyish leaves that grow on stiff square stems. Pruning is best done in the spring when new growth first appears. Prune down to 6-inches. Russian Sage is hardy from Zone 5-9 and blooms from July through October. Russian Sage tolerates rabbits, deer, and groundhogs.
5. Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum)
We have Shasta Daisies growing all around our home. We have a few clumps in the front of the house and a border of daisies growing behind our vegetable garden. The wonderful thing about daisies is that they divide easily and establish quickly. The daisies have been growing for many years on our property. While I’m not 100% sure of the variety, my guess would be ‘Becky’.
An herbaceous perennial, Shasta Daisy in the Asteraceae family. They grow in height from 3-4 feet and spread 2-3 feet. Shasta Daisies prefer full sun but can tolerate some shade, especially in warm climates. Daisies grow on rigid stems that do not require staking. Their flowers are 3-4 inches in diameter with the classic white petals and yellow centers. The medium green leaves are lance-shaped and coarsely tooth-shaped.
Shasta Daisy is hardy from Zone 5-9 and blooms from July through September. Spent blooms should be pruned to encourage additional blooms. After the flowering period has ended, prune each plant down to a small clump. Shasta Daisy tolerates rabbits, deer, and groundhogs.
6. Speedwell (Veronica spicata)
Veronica spicata is a new addition to our garden this year. We planted a variety called ‘Bubblegum Candles’. They grabbed my attention with their lovely spiky pink flowers. In addition, they are a low growing and low spreading plant. They grow to a height of 1 foot and spread up to .75 feet.
A clump-forming, herbaceous perennial, Veronica spicata is in the Plantaginaceae family. Its common name is spike speedwell. Veronica requires full sun and prefers consistently moist soil due to its shallow roots. Its flowers are pink and form upright spike-like flower clusters along a central stem rising well above the foliage. Spent flower spikes should be pruned to encourage additional blooms. At the end of the season, prune each plant down to a small clump.
Veronica spicata is hardy from Zone 3-8 and blooms from June through August. As with the other plants, Veronica spicata tolerates rabbits, deer, and groundhogs.
7. Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica)
We have been growing the variety ‘Caesar’s Brother’ in our garden for the past 3 years. An herbaceous perennial, Siberian Iris in the Iridaceae family. Siberian Iris requires full sun to part shade. In too much shade, fewer flowers will be produced, and they can tend to flop over. While Siberian Iris can be easily grown in moist fertile soil, it will also adapt well to a wide range of soil types.
The blue-green leaves form a v-shaped clump up to 2’ tall. Flowering stems rise above the foliage up to 3’ tall in the May-June period. Each flowering stem produces up to 2-5 flowers. The flowers of Caesar’s Brother are deep violet-purple with black veining and white and yellow throats. After the plant blooms, the flower stem can either be removed or left in place for the seed pods that emerge. I personally, love the seed pods and use them in my dried flower arrangements.
Siberian Iris is hardy from Zones 3-8. While the flowers of the Siberian Iris are short-lived, the grassy foliage remains attractive all season. As with the other plants, Siberian Iris tolerates rabbits, deer, and groundhogs. Of the nine wonderful perennial flowers that animals will not devour, Caesar’s Brother Siberian Iris is the most striking.
8. Blue Star (Amsonia hubrichtii)
Blue Star has been growing in our garden for the past 3 years. Each spring, from April to May, the plants seem to produce more and more flowers. An herbaceous perennial, Blue Star in the Apocynaceae family. Blue Star requires full sun to part shade. In the fall, the foliage of Blue Star will turn a lovely golden color.
Blue Star is a clump-forming plant that is grown for its blue spring flowers and green summer foliage. The flowers are star-like and form at the end of a 3’ stem that rises above the foliage. After the plant blooms, we cut back the foliage by about 1’ to prevent the plant from flopping. It’s best to plant Blue Star in mass.
Blue Star is hardy from Zones 5-8. It can grow to a height of 3’ and spreads up to 3’. As with the other plants, Blue Star tolerates rabbits, deer, and groundhogs.
9. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
The last, but certainly not least of the nine wonderful perennial flowers that animals will not devour is the Black-eyed Susan. Black-eyed Susan is a biennial or short-lived perennial that is winter hardy in USDA Zones 3-7. While each plant is short-lived, Black-eyed Susan readily self-seeds and will thus remain in the garden for a long time. With its self-seeding, we routinely find Black-eyed Susan in new areas of the garden each year.
The plant features daisy-like flowers (2-3”) with bright yellow petals and a dark chocolate-brown domed center. Flowers bloom from June through September. Deadheading will encourage new blooms. The leaves are rough, hairy, and lance-shaped from 3-7” long. An herbaceous perennial, Black-eyed Susan in the Asteraceae family. It prefers full sun and will grow 2-3’ tall and spread 1-2’ wide. As with the other plants, Black-eyed Susan tolerates rabbits, deer, and groundhogs.
In summary, good luck as you try some of these nine wonderful perennial flowers that animals will not devour!
Additional Information
Here is a list of posts that you may also find interesting to read.
- 6 easy steps to divide Siberian Iris
- Brilliant Method to create new garden beds: Lasagna Gardening
- Profusion Zinnias: An awesome flower to grow
- The Importance of Native Plants
- How to Create a Productive Small Vegetable Garden
- How to Create a Monarch Butterfly Garden
- Flowers in the vegetable garden, 7 that provide beneficial effects
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Thanks for the suggestions. My friend and I created a butterfly garden in a local woodland park and we need to replace a couple of the “deer resistant” plants that unfortunately weren’t. I hadn’t thought about Coreopsis, but that would be perfect. We do have Catmint and it’s doing great, and we’re happy with our Amsonia, too. We’d really like some more late season color and looks like these might do the trick.
Glad you found the article helpful. The other thing about Coreopsis is that it self seeds. This can be a good or bad thing depending upon your design. As Amsonia grows and matures, it will also add some fall color. Its leaves turn a lovely yellow/orange color in fall.