Deer Resistant Plants for Shade Gardens

Deer resistant shade plants are the secret to a low-stress garden. They thrive where light is limited and deer are frequent visitors. Whether you're working under trees, along shaded fences, or in cool corners of your yard, these plants protect your investment. They keep your garden looking beautiful all season long.

At Garden Crossings, our curated selection includes annuals, perennials, and shrubs built for strong performance in challenging spots. Many also attract pollinators and thrive in moist, cool soil so they do double duty in the landscape. Ready to design a stunning layered look? Explore our deer resistant shade plants and build a garden that stays beautiful and unbrowsed.

A brown deer with short antlers grazes on green plants in a lush, wooded area, surrounded by leafy bushes and trees.
A cluster of bright pink impatiens is surrounded by the vibrant green leaves with deep maroon centers and jagged yellow-green edges of Colorblaze® Strawberry Drop Coleus - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA vibrant Colorblaze® Strawberry Drop Coleus with green, burgundy, and pink foliage grows densely in a round modern gray and taupe ceramic pot against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

ColorBlaze® Strawberry Drop Coleus

$10.99
$10.99
Bright green, ruffled Dolce® 'Apple Twist' Coral Bells (Heuchera) standout among maroon and tan foliage, creating a vibrant and contrasting display in this close-up of a shade perennial garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Clusters of light green, ruffled Dolce® 'Apple Twist' Coral Bells (Heuchera) grow in a garden bed beside a decorative planter lush with dark green foliage and purple flowers - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Dolce® 'Apple Twist' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of Dolce® 'Cherry Truffles' Coral Bells (Heuchera) with ruffled deep burgundy leaves and tall stems featuring dark pink buds, surrounded by green-yellow variegated foliage and ornamental grass - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Dolce® 'Cherry Truffles' Coral Bells (Heuchera) shows ruffled, vibrant red and burgundy leaves. This perennial’s dense foliage creates striking color, pattern, and texture in the garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Dolce® 'Cherry Truffles' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of Dolce® 'Toffee Tart' Coral Bells (Heuchera) features dense clusters of autumn-hued leaves—gold, orange, and brown—with rounded edges and prominent veins - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A close-up of yellow-green, scalloped leaves with visible veins from Dolce® 'Toffee Tart' Coral Bells (Heuchera), a popular shade perennial. Out-of-focus red flowers and similar foliage appear in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Dolce® 'Toffee Tart' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99

A Dressed Up® 'Evening Gown' Coral Bells (Heuchera) perennial sits on the patio, its dense, glossy ruffled leaves showing dark purple-black coloring with burgundy-edged highlights - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.A large Dressed Up® 'Evening Gown' Coral Bells (Heuchera) with dark, ruffled leaves grows in a gray, ribbed planter outdoors, set against green grass and a stone walkway for an elegant perennial display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Dressed Up® 'Evening Gown' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99

Three pale, star-shaped flowers with light purple veins bloom among green leaves. Endless™ Flirtation Bush Violet offers delicate, five-pointed petals - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA close-up of a white browallia with faint purple veins, green leaves, and blurred red flowers in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Endless™ Flirtation Bush Violet (Browallia)

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of vibrant Endless™ Illumination Bush Violet flowers with green leaves, accompanied by a few narrow red-orange blooms - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA cluster of vibrant purple star-shaped flowers, Endless™ Illumination Bush Violet (Browallia) is a stunning blue-toned annual - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Endless™ Illumination Bush Violet (Browallia)

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of Feathered Friends® 'Cordial Canary' Bugleweed (Ajuga) shows vibrant foliage and flower spikes—an eye-catching, evergreen ground cover perfect for shade garden - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.A close-up of Feathered Friends® 'Cordial Canary' Bugleweed (Ajuga) shows dense, glossy green and gold leaves with elongated oval shapes - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Feathered Friends® 'Cordial Canary' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
Close-up of glossy, long, narrow reddish-brown leaves of Feathered Friends® 'Fancy Finch' Bugleweed (Ajuga), forming a dense, evergreen ground cover - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A vibrant cluster of Feathered Friends® 'Fancy Finch' Bugleweed (Ajuga) blooms in a rock-bordered garden bed, surrounded by green grass and plants. The evergreen ground cover has some yellowing leaves at its base - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Feathered Friends® 'Fancy Finch' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99

Feathered Friends® 'Fierce Falcon' Bugleweed (Ajuga) features glossy, dark purple crinkled leaves as an attractive evergreen ground cover, with hints of green and yellow foliage - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.Close-up of the dark purple, crinkled leaves of Feathered Friends® 'Fierce Falcon' Bugleweed (Ajuga), highlighting their glossy texture and prominent veins - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.

Feathered Friends® 'Fierce Falcon' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
Feathered Friends® 'Flashy Flamingo' Bugleweed (Ajuga) features clusters of pale purple flowers and golden yellow foliage, with dense, delicate spikes—ideal as a shade ground cover. Blurred blue-purple blooms appear in the background - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.

Feathered Friends® 'Flashy Flamingo' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
Feathered Friends® 'Noble Nightingale' Bugleweed features dense clusters of narrow, glossy dark green and purplish leaves - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.A close-up of Feathered Friends® 'Noble Nightingale' Bugleweed (Ajuga) in a tray, its dense glossy dark green and purple-tinged evergreen leaves highlighted by sunlight, showcasing unique foliage textures - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Feathered Friends® 'Noble Nightingale' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99

Close-up of Feathered Friends® 'Parrot Paradise' Bugleweed (Ajuga) ground cover, displaying textured, veined green and reddish-brown leaves with natural color variations - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.Feathered Friends® 'Parrot Paradise' Bugleweed (Ajuga) features dense clusters of yellow-green leaves with reddish-brown veins and tips, forming a rounded, evergreen foliage plant - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.

Feathered Friends® 'Parrot Paradise' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
Feathered Friends® 'Petite Parakeet' Bugleweed (Ajuga) features gold small leaves that contrast beautifully with bright yellow-green and dark purple foliage, dark greenish-purple foliage is seen in the top of the image - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.A dense cluster of small, yellow-green leaves with light brown edges, typical of Feathered Friends® 'Petite Parakeet' Bugleweed (Ajuga), grows closely together in a tray against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.

Feathered Friends® 'Petite Parakeet' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
A potted Feathered Friends® 'Pink Pelican' Bugleweed (Ajuga), a ground cover perennial with dense clusters of small light purple flowers and green-red leaves, is set against a plain white background - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions. Decorative pot not included.

Feathered Friends® 'Pink Pelican' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99

Close-up of Feathered Friends® 'Rosy Robin' Bugleweed (Ajuga) flower spikes with densely packed blooms above green and bronze foliage - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions. A potted Feathered Friends® 'Rosy Robin' Bugleweed (Ajuga), a hardy perennial with dense spikes of pale purple flowers and reddish-green leaves, is shown against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions. Decorative pot not included.

Feathered Friends® 'Rosy Robin' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
Clusters of fragrant, bottlebrush-shaped white blooms grow on green leafy stems of the shade-tolerant Fizzy Mizzy® Sweetspire (Itea), surrounded by broad, textured green leaves. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClusters of fragrant white blooms rise above green leaves in a dense, sunlit garden. Fizzy Mizzy® Sweetspire (Itea)’s small flowers are packed tightly along upright stems, creating texture in these shade-tolerant shrubs. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Fizzy Mizzy® Sweetspire (Itea)

$22.99
$22.99
Yellow-green leaves with dark red veins sit below delicate clusters of light pink flowers on tall stems—this close-up features Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy' Foamy Bells (Heucherella), a shade perennial with light green leaves, dark veins, and stems topped with delicate pink flowers, thrives beautifully in a lush garden setting - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of Fun and Games® 'Hopscotch' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) leaves overlap in red, orange, and brown shades, highlighting jagged edges and textured surfaces - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of autumn-colored leaves in orange, red, and brown, of Fun and Games® 'Hopscotch' Foamy Bells (Heucherella), glistening with small water droplets - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Fun and Games® 'Hopscotch' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of rusty red leaves of Fun and Games® 'Red Rover' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) with a cluster of pink and white buds surround the perennial amid lush green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of a cluster of Fun and Games® 'Red Rover' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) leaves, resembling coral bells, display rich burgundy-red hues grow densely above dark soil - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Fun and Games® 'Red Rover' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$27.99
$27.99

Close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Blushing Bride' Caladium, showcasing heart-shaped leaves in vivid pink, green, and white with striking veins - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Blushing Bride' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

Heart to Heart® 'Bold 'N Beautiful' Caladium features lush leaves with green edges, creamy centers, and pink-red veins - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included. A cluster of Heart to Heart® 'Bold 'N Beautiful' Caladium with large, heart-shaped leaves—bright pink centers and green edges—thrives by a stone border in sun or shade, surrounded by mulch - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Bold 'N Beautiful' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
Heart to Heart® 'Burning Heart' Caladium features large, heart-shaped leaves in reddish-brown with yellow speckles. This tropical houseplant stands out, while hints of green foliage and a black pot can be seen in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCHeart to Heart® 'Burning Heart' Caladium features large, heart-shaped red leaves with pink and white speckles that overlap to form dense, vibrant foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Burning Heart' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

A cluster of Heart to Heart® 'Chinook' Caladium plants featuring large, heart-shaped salmon pink leaves with white centers and green borders, thriving in dark soil - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA beige speckled ceramic pot features the Heart to Heart® 'Chinook' Caladium, with large, heart-shaped salmon pink leaves accented by green and white veins spreading in various directions - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® 'Chinook' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99