Deer-Resistant Shade Plants

Shaded spots can be hard to fill, and even more so to keep grazing deer away from. Deer-resistant plants are the secret to a low-stress garden. Bitter and unappetizing to deer, they provide colorful foliage and texture in your low-light area. 

Our curated collection at Garden Crossings includes deer-resistant shade perennials, annuals, and shrubs built for strong performance in challenging spots. Explore our plants!

A deer with light brown fur grazes on green plants in a garden, surrounded by trees and lush vegetation.
Close-up of Sweet & Lo™ Sweet Box (Sarcococca), an evergreen shrub with clusters of small, white star-shaped flowers with pink tips amid glossy green leaves. Dense blooms adorn this shade-loving plant’s vibrant foliage. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Top-down view of the The Sweet & Lo™ Sweet Box (Sarcococca) with dense, pointed green leaves in a white container, set outdoors on concrete with other plants in the background. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Sweet & Lo™ Sweet Box (Sarcococca)

$21.99
$21.99

‘Valentine’ Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) features red and pink heart-shaped flowers with green leaves, growing densely together in a garden, set against a softly blurred natural background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of 'Valentine' Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) flowers, displaying red and white heart-shaped blooms hanging from a curved stem with green foliage in a garden setting - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Valentine® Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)

$20.99
$20.99

Close-up of a vibrant pink Vicki™ Clematis flower with pointed petals and yellow center, set among green leaves. Additional pink Vicki™ Clematis blooms appear softly in the background - Photo Courtesy of Donahue's Clematis

Vicki™ Boulevard® Clematis

$20.99
$20.99

Close-up of Volcanica™ French Quarters Coleus leaves, featuring jagged edges, bright green borders, deep pink centers, and dark purple patches. This shade annual’s colorful, densely packed foliage creates striking contrast - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClose-up of Volcanica™ French Quarters Coleus—this eye-catching plant has jagged bright green edges, deep pink centers, and rich maroon patterns, making it a striking shade annual - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.

Volcanica™ French Quarters Coleus

$10.99
$10.99

A close-up of Wedding Party® 'Black Tie Affair' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) shows pale double petals edged in purple with dark veins, green leaves, and yellow stamens - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A hand holds the Wedding Party® 'Black Tie Affair' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), a shade perennial with green leaves and two layered dark purple and white flowers featuring showy yellow stamens - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'Black Tie Affair' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

A hand holds a Wedding Party® 'Blushing Bridesmaid' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) bloom, showing light pink petals edged in magenta with intricate veining and a center of pale green and white stamens - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A hand holds a Wedding Party® 'Blushing Bridesmaid' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with double white petals edged and veined in purple, pale yellow stamens, and lush green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Wedding Party® 'Blushing Bridesmaid' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

A close-up of Wedding Party® 'Childhood Sweetheart' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), a striking spring perennial with cream petals streaked with dark red and layered blooms, set against a backdrop of rich green leaves and red flowers - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'Childhood Sweetheart' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$17.99
$17.99
A close-up of a hand gently holding a Wedding Party® 'Confetti Cake' Lenten Rose, a pale cream flower with dark purple speckles and layered petals, among green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Wedding Party® 'Confetti Cake' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), a shade perennial with layered white petals speckled dark purple near the center and pale yellow stamens, set against a softly blurred woodland garden backdrop - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'Confetti Cake' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

A hand gently holds a blooming Wedding Party® 'Dark and Handsome' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), showcasing deep purple, double-layered petals, pale yellow stamens, and green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Wedding Party® 'Dark and Handsome' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), featuring deep purple-black layered petals, striking yellow stamens, and lush green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'Dark and Handsome' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

Wedding Party® 'Dashing Groomsman' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) features dark purple double blooms and lush green leaves—some flowers open, others in bud - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A close-up of Wedding Party® 'Dashing Groomsman' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with double dark purple blooms and green leaves in a terracotta pot against a black background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Wedding Party® 'Dashing Groomsman' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

A close-up of Wedding Party® 'Father of the Bride' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) displays pale yellow petals with maroon speckles at the center, surrounded by lush green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Close-up of pale yellow Wedding Party® 'Father of the Bride' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) flowers with purple-speckled centers and green leaves, growing in a pot - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Wedding Party® 'Father of the Bride' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$19.99
$19.99
Close-up if a single bloom of the Wedding Party® 'First Dance' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) features pale yellow blooms with ruffled petals lightly edged in pink, set against lush green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A close-up of Wedding Party® 'First Dance' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) shows pale yellow and cream flowers with light green centers and purple-tinged edges, densely clustered - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'First Dance' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
A hand holds four pale pink, ruffled double blooms of Wedding Party® 'Flower Girl' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with greenish-white centers against green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of the Wedding Party® 'Flower Girl' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) features pale pink double blooms amid green leaves, with additional softly blurred flowers and foliage in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Wedding Party® 'Flower Girl' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

A hand gently holds a vibrant purple-pink double blooming perennial, Wedding Party® 'Maid of Honor' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), with ruffled petals and yellow stamens among green leaves and a blurred background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Wedding Party® 'Maid of Honor' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) featuring ruffled pink and white double blooms with green leaves, intricate veining, and other Lenten Rose flowers and foliage in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Wedding Party® 'Maid of Honor' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of Wedding Party® 'Mother of the Bride' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) in pale yellow with light pink edges, set among green leaves and other purple-tinged double blooms and buds - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A close-up of the Wedding Party® 'Mother of the Bride' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), featuring its pale pink and yellow double blooms with layered petals and green leaves in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'Mother of the Bride' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

Two hands gently hold three Wedding Party® 'Shotgun Wedding' Lenten Rose flowers—purple and white with yellow centers—amid green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'Shotgun Wedding' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of several cut Wedding Party® 'True Love' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) blooms showing dark purple-pink layered petals and pale yellow stamens, set against green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A hand gently holds a deep burgundy, double-petaled Wedding Party® 'True Love' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with pale yellow stamens in the center, surrounded by green leaves and more buds of this striking shade perennial - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Wedding Party® 'True Love' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
A hand gently holds a snow white, multi-layered Wedding Party® 'Wedding Bells' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with a green center and delicate petals, surrounded by green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A close-up of Wedding Party® 'Wedding Bells' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) reveals delicate white petals and yellow-green centers, densely clustered and softly lit to highlight the beauty of this perennial shade flower - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'Wedding Bells' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
A close-up of the Wedding Party® 'Wedding Crasher' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), an early spring bloomer with multiple pink petals speckled with darker spots, yellow stamens at the center, and green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'Wedding Crasher' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of Wedding Party® 'Whirlwind Romance' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with double purple and white flowers, yellow stamens, and green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A close-up of Wedding Party® 'Whirlwind Romance' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), a deer and rabbit-resistant perennial featuring double-layered purple and white blooms with yellow stamens and striking dark purple-edged petals - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'Whirlwind Romance' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$20.99
$20.99

Clusters of small, star-shaped white flowers with yellow centers bloom among green leaves and buds on the Yuki Snowflake® Deutzia - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCYuki Snowflake® Deutzia is a dense shrub with clusters of small, star-shaped white flowers and green leaves, shown outdoors in bright light - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Yuki Snowflake® Deutzia

$22.99
$40.99 $22.99

ColorBlaze® deer-resistant shade annuals

Help Your Garden Thrive with Deer-Resistant Shade Plants

Deer aren’t so cute when they’re browsing on your annuals and perennial plants! To keep these hungry critters away, focus on plants with substantial texture, strong scents, or leathery leaves. 

Our deer-resistant plants for shade are the perfect place to start. They thrive where light is limited, where even deer are frequent visitors. Whether you’re working under trees, along shaded fences, or in cool corners of your yard, these plants help protect your investment.

deer-resistant boxwood shade plant

Protect Your Garden from Browsing Deer

While no plants are truly ‘deer-resistant,’ these perennials, annuals, and garden shrubs serve as your first line of defense against these critters. 

At Garden Crossings, we’ve selected each of these plants for your growing needs and USDA Hardiness Zone to support success in your outdoor space. We personally inspect our plants before shipping for appearance, quality, and performance. Shop online!

FAQs

No plants are 100% deer-proof. Hungry deer will eat almost anything if food is scarce! However, they often avoid plants with fuzzy textures, bitter tastes, and toxic compounds.

There are a few characteristics that deer generally dislike:

  • Leathery or tough textures that are difficult for them to chew
  • Fuzzy stems and leaves, which make the plant unappealing to eat and touch
  • Strong scents
  • Milky, toxic sap acts as a deterrent.

Some of the best deer-resistant plants for shade include hellebores, ferns, and coral bells. These plants thrive in low light while deterring wildlife with their tough and unappealing foliage.