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 vibrant garden display highlights Heart to Heart® Raspberry Moon Caladium, complemented by purple-veined Persian shield foliage and magenta petunias with white-edged blooms, arranged outdoors beside a tree trunk - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCThe Heart to Heart® Raspberry Moon Caladium is a shade-loving foliage plant with large, heart-shaped pink, light green, and red leaves in a textured beige ceramic pot, shown against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® 'Raspberry Moon' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

The Heart to Heart® Scarlet Flame Caladium, with large pink and red leaves edged in green, grows in dark soil next to green hosta plants - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCHeart to Heart® Scarlet Flame Caladium, featuring vibrant pink and green strap-shaped leaves, grows by a stone wall amid pink flowers, white blooms, and lush greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Heart to Heart® 'Scarlet Flame' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

A close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Splash of Wine' Caladium displays large, heart-shaped leaves with pink, white, and green patterns and prominent veins. The plant sits in a brown pot against a softly blurred background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.Close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Splash of Wine' Caladium leaves featuring pink centers, green veins, and creamy edges in an overlapping pattern. The vibrant, delicately veined foliage adds standout color to shade gardens. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Splash of Wine' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
A close-up of heart-shaped foliage from Heart to Heart® White Wonder Caladium, displaying white leaves with green edges and pink veins that overlap to create a striking, natural pattern - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A Heart to Heart® White Wonder Caladium with heart-shaped, pale green leaves edged in dark green and veined in pink sits in a beige speckled ceramic pot against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® 'White Wonder' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

A close-up of a Heart to Heart® 'Xplosion' Caladium displays heart-shaped, vibrant green and red leaves with white speckles in a black pot, surrounded by lush greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.The Heart to Heart® 'Xplosion' Caladium features large, heart-shaped leaves with green edges, deep red veins, and white splashes, presented in a textured light ceramic pot against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® 'Xplosion' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
Close-up of Heart to Heart® Heart's Delight Caladium leaves, featuring deep red centers and bright green edges. Their unique heart-shaped patterns make this colorful plant a stunning addition to any garden - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.The Heart to Heart® Heart's Delight Caladium features large, vibrant pink heart-shaped leaves with green edges, displayed in a beige decorative pot against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® Heart's Delight Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
The Heart to Heart® 'Snow Flurry' Caladium, featuring green and white heart-shaped leaves, stands out as a shade-loving container plant in a textured cream ceramic pot against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.Large, heart-shaped green leaves with bold white speckles and marbling overlap densely - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® Snow Flurry Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
Heart to Heart® 'Va Va Violet' Caladium features large, heart-shaped leaves with pink centers, light green edges, and white and green speckles - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCHeart to Heart® 'Va Va Violet' Caladium features vibrant heart-shaped leaves with pink centers and green edges with overlapping foliage that creates a striking, colorful display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® Va Va Violet™ Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
A close-up of a pale yellow Honeymoon® 'California Dreaming' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with delicate petals, yellow stamens, and surrounded by green leaves and buds - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'California Dreaming' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
A close-up of a light green Honeymoon® 'Irish Luck' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with five petals, dark purple center markings, and pale yellow stamens. Two fingers gently hold this shade perennial; green leaves appear in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'Irish Luck' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
A close-up of the Honeymoon® 'New York Night' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), displaying its dark purple-black petals and bright yellow-green center, gently held by a person's fingers among green leaves in a shade garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Honeymoon® 'New York Night' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with dark purple blooms and pale yellow stamens, showcased among green leaves in a shady garden - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'New York Night' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
A hand holds a Honeymoon® 'Paris in Pink' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with five pink petals and a yellow-white center, shown close-up against a blurred green background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of several pale purple and white Honeymoon® 'Paris in Pink' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) flowers with yellow centers and delicate petals, surrounded by green leaves and darker parts, arranged closely together - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'Paris in Pink' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
A close-up of a Honeymoon® 'Rio Carnival' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) shows cream-yellow petals with maroon-purple splotches and a green, spiky center, framed by lush green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of pale yellow Honeymoon® 'Rio Carnival' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) flowers with bold dark purple splotches and speckles, featuring prominent yellow-green stamens, set against a dark background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'Rio Carnival' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
Three Honeymoon® 'Romantic Getaway' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) flowers display white petals with deep maroon centers, yellow-green stamens, and are framed by green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'Romantic Getaway' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

A close-up of Honeymoon® 'Rome in Red' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), a deep burgundy perennial with yellow stamens, surrounded by green leaves and softly blurred background foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of the Honeymoon® 'Rome in Red' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) features clusters of deep purple blooms with yellow-green centers and bright stamens - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'Rome in Red' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

A hand holds a Honeymoon® 'Swiss Alps' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), its white petals with dark maroon centers and creamy yellow stamens contrasted against green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'Swiss Alps' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$21.99
$21.99

Honeymoon® 'Tropical Sunset' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) features pale yellow flowers with purple-edged petals and bright yellow stamens - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A close-up of Honeymoon® 'Tropical Sunset' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with yellow petals edged in dark red, veined details, and a central cluster of stamens amid green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'Tropical Sunset' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

A lush garden bed with vibrant green Kimberly Queen Queen Ferns (Nephrolepis), pink begonias, small white flowers, and dark broad-leaf plants bordered by stones - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A Kimberly Queen Fern (Nephrolepis) hangs lush and green, accented by yellow and purple flowers in front of a tan stone wall - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.

Kimberly Queen Queen Fern (Nephrolepis)

$17.99
$17.99

Close-up of vibrant Kodiak® Orange Diervilla leaves in red, pink, and pale yellow shades. This shrub features pointed tips and prominent veins, creating striking and colorful foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A drought-tolerant shrub with slender branches and pink, yellow, and light green leaves, Kodiak® Orange Diervilla adds early autumn color to garden beds mulched beside logs - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Kodiak® Orange Diervilla

$22.99
$22.99

Red and orange autumn leaves densely cover the drought-tolerant Kodiak® Red 2.0 Diervilla, revealing hints of yellow and green beneath for a vibrant, colorful foliage display - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Top-down view of the Kodiak® Red 2.0 Diervilla shrub, with reddish-brown narrow leaves, grows in a sunlit mulched bed alongside other plants and mulch in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Kodiak® Red 2.0 Diervilla

$22.99
$22.99

Long, slender spikes of small white flowers extend from leafy green stems as the dense Little Henry® Sweetspire (Itea) grows over a stone border in the garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of overlapping reddish-brown, pink, and green leaves with prominent veins and glossy texture on the compact Little Henry® Sweetspire (Itea) shrub. Leaves grow from the central stem - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Little Henry® Sweetspire (Itea)

$21.99
$21.99

A close-up of a neatly trimmed Neatball® Boxwood (Buxus) with dense, round form and small, glossy leaves. This evergreen shrub sits in an outdoor garden, surrounded by other greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Top-down view of a small Neatball® Boxwood (Buxus), a compact, evergreen shrub with oval leaves, thriving in sunny, mulched beds - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Neatball® Boxwood (Buxus)

$22.99
$22.99

A Newgen Freedom® Boxwood (Buxus), neatly trimmed and round with dense foliage, grows in a mulched garden bed outdoors, serving as an attractive evergreen foundation plant against greenery and a house - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A Newgen Freedom® Boxwood (Buxus), with dense green leaves, is planted in mulch in front of a light blue house with a screened porch, serving as an attractive evergreen foundation shrub - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Newgen Freedom® Boxwood (Buxus)

$22.99
$22.99
Rounded, blight-resistant Newgen Independence® Boxwood shrubs and white hydrangea flowers thrive in a mulched garden bed bordered by a white wooden fence - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A neatly trimmed Newgen Independence® Boxwood (Buxus) with dense leaves grows in a garden bed, surrounded by other greenery and white flowers near a building - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Newgen Independence® Boxwood (Buxus)

$22.99
$22.99