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Adding Deer-Resistant Color to Landscapes

October 03, 2025

Written by Marissa Miles

As a Professional Landscape Designer in Malvern, PA, I always prioritize deer resistance at the top of my list when creating a custom landscape design. It feels as if each year this list shrinks. Very few of the properties we design and maintain are not impacted by deer populations at some level. They can cause damage by deer browsing or by antler rubbing, and our Plant Health Care division offers specialized deer repellent measures to protect your landscape from deer damage. We find that combining deer deterrents with deer-resistant plants results in decreased plant damage. Here is a list of my favorite ways to add color to a property with deer tolerant plants.

Early Spring Blooming Perennials and Bulbs

  • Hellebores (Helleborus spp.): Evergreen foliage with early blooms
  • Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica): Vibrant blue flowers in early spring
  • Daffodils (Narcissus spp.): Classic Spring bulbs

Late Spring Blooming Perennials

  • Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis): Beautiful, drooping flowers
  • Allium (Allium spp.): Ornamental onions with late spring blooms
  • Astilbe (Astilbe spp.): Feathery flowers, prefers moist soil
  • Columbine (Aquilegia spp.): Unusual, spurred flowers
  • Catmint (Nepeta): A pollinator’s favorite, prolific purple flowers
  • Peony (Paeonia lactiflora): Large fragrant blooms

Summer Blooming Perennials

  • Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): Aromatic and drought-tolerant
  • Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum): Tall native perennial with mauve flowers
  • Russian Sage (Salvia yangii -formerly Perovskia atriplicifolia): Low maintenance with a long summer bloom season

Fall Blooming Perennials

  • Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.): Bright fall clusters
  • Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Sedum spectabile): Succulent-like leaves with late blooms
  • Goldenrod (Solidago spp.): Bright yellow plumes

Deer-Resistant Shrubs

  • Boxwood (Buxus spp.): Evergreen hedge
  • Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra): Evergreen, Native
  • Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus): Evergreen, white flowers in spring
  • Miss Kim Lilac (Syringa pubescens subsp. patula ‘Miss Kim’): Spring Blooming, fragrant purple bloom
  • Miss Ruby Butterfly bush (Buddleia x ‘Miss Ruby’): Non-invasive Summer Blooms
  • Bluebeard (Caryopteris): Powdery blue Last summer flower
Bright yellow planting - Adding deer resistant color to landscapes - Burkholder Landscape

Trust Burkholder For Expert Landscape Design in Main Line Properties

Choosing deer-resistant plants is only one step toward a vibrant, thriving landscape. We combine expert plant selection (including adding deer resistant color in landscapes) with professional design, installation, and ongoing maintenance to ensure your property stays healthy, colorful, and protected throughout the seasons. Our design team understands the challenges that deer damage presents in the Main Line area and beyond, and we take a comprehensive approach, blending design creativity with proven prevention and landscape maintenance strategies, to give you a beautiful landscape that thrives. Let Burkholder help you create your ideal outdoor space that reflects your style that you can enjoy year after year.

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