Best Deer-Resistant Plants for Western Montana

What does deer-resistant actually mean?

It means deer usually prefer something else. MSU Extension notes that resistance changes with how much other forage is around, how many deer there are and how close the garden is to their habitat. Young, tender and newly planted material suffers most, and well-fertilized plants are more attractive. MSU's advice for western Montana is to choose perennials hardy to Zones 4 and 5; everything below fits that range.

1. Penstemon (rating 3)

Tubular flowers in blue, pink, red or white, many of them native to the region, and loved by pollinators. Hardy to Zone 4 and well suited to dry, well-drained ground.

2. Russian sage (rating 3)

Silvery foliage and a long haze of lavender-blue flowers from midsummer. Aromatic, drought tolerant and rarely touched. Hardy to Zone 5.

3. Catmint (rating 3)

A tough, mounding perennial with blue flowers through much of the summer, hardy to Zone 3. A good edging plant along paths and in front of more vulnerable plantings.

4. Bee balm (rating 3)

Aromatic foliage and bright summer flowers that draw pollinators, hardy to Zone 4. It spreads, so give it room.

5. Iris (rating 3)

Reliable early-summer color, hardy to Zone 3, and one of the plants deer most consistently leave alone.

6. Blue flax (rating 3)

A native Montana wildflower, Linum lewisii, with sky-blue flowers that open each morning. Hardy to Zone 3 and at home in dry, sunny spots.

7. 'May Night' salvia (rating 3)

Deep violet flower spikes in early summer, with aromatic leaves deer avoid. Hardy to Zone 4. Cut it back after the first bloom for a second flush.

8. Blue fescue (rating 3)

A compact, blue-gray ornamental grass, hardy to Zone 4, that works well as edging and in rock gardens and xeriscapes.

9. Juniper (rating 3)

From groundcovers to upright forms, hardy to Zone 2, and one of the most dependable evergreens for dry western Montana yards. On wildfire-prone lots, keep junipers away from the house; see our defensible space guide.

10. Oregon grape (rating 3)

A low native evergreen shrub, Mahonia repens, with holly-like leaves, yellow spring flowers and blue berries. Hardy to Zone 4 and happy in partial shade under trees.

11. Potentilla (rating 3)

A small, tough flowering shrub, hardy to Zone 2, that blooms for months and tolerates poor soil. A standard for good reason.

12. Blue mist spirea (rating 3)

Also sold as Caryopteris, with blue late-summer flowers that pollinators love. Hardy to Zone 5, so give it a sheltered, sunny spot.

13. Douglas-fir, western larch and mountain mahogany (rating 3)

For trees, MSU rates two native conifers, Douglas-fir and western larch, and the native mountain mahogany at the top of its scale. Young trees still need protection until their leaders are above browse height. Our list of the best trees to plant in western Montana covers their size and site needs.

Which popular plants rate only moderately?

MSU gives a middle rating of 2 to lavender, peonies, common lilac and Colorado blue spruce. They are often left alone, but not reliably, especially in a hard winter or where deer are dense. Use them inside the yard and ring them with the plants above rather than planting them on the edge where deer enter.

What else keeps deer out of a Montana yard?

Fencing is the only reliable answer. MSU Extension says a permanent fence at least 6 feet high can be cost-effective for a backyard garden; our deer and elk fencing guide covers designs, and our custom fencing team builds them. Repellents help for a while but, according to MSU, even the best cut browsing by only about 60 percent and last one to two weeks. Frightening devices work for days to weeks, and ultrasonic devices have not been shown to frighten deer.

One more rule: do not feed them. Montana law prohibits knowingly attracting deer with supplemental feed, and a deer that learns your yard is a food source will come back. If you want a landscape designed around deer from the start, our landscaping team can plan it.

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