Washington Area Butterfly Club
This list of butterfly nectar and host plants, currently fairly general, has been gathered from several sources: books, web sites, and the experiences of some club members. It is important to keep in mind that there are probably no plants that are 100% deer-proof. Deer near starvation due to overpopulation or a severe winter will eat even toxic plants. Nevertheless, choosing less-palatable plants can help you to curb their destructive effects on your garden.
Try surrounding and interplanting your garden with plants deer strongly dislike, particularly plants with strong odors like mints and herbs. Creating a barrier in this way can act as enough as a deterrent that the deer may not notice some of the tastier plants scattered among the herbs.
Try creating sunken or raised beds; reportedly, deer don't like going up or down steep grades unless it's absolutely essential.
Another strategy is to try deliberately planting a field of some of the deer's favorite plants some distance away from your main garden. The deer may not move on to your garden if they find what they are looking for elsewhere; on the other hand, this could also serve to entice deer closer to your garden.
Deers' favorite plants can vary widely depending on habitat and area of the country, so some experimentation is essential. As we receive feedback from metro-area butterfly gardeners, we hope to revise and improve this list to include the most dependable deer-resistant plants for the D.C. area.
Got deer? Got a butterfly garden (particularly in the D.C. metro area)? You can help! E-mail the webmaster with your tips on which plants have survived well for you—and which were immediately devoured.
| Common Name | Latin Name |
| Abelia bush | Abelia x grandiflora |
| Angelica species | esp. Angelica gigas |
| Beebalm, Bergamot, Oswego tea | Monarda didyma |
| Black-eyed Susan | Rudbeckia fulgida |
| Blanket Flower | Gaillardia species |
| Boltonia | Boltonia asteroides |
| Butterfly Bush | Buddleia davidii |
| Butterfly Weed NOTE: May not be as resistant as other Milkweeds. |
Asclepias tuberosa |
| Candytuft | Iberis |
| Caryopteris, Blue Mist shrub | Caryopteris x clandonensis |
| Catmint | Nepeta mussini |
| Catnip | Nepeta cataria |
| Chives | Allium schoenoprasum |
| Dianthus, Carnations, Pinks | Dianthus species, esp. Sweet William, D. barbatus |
| Dogbane, Indian Hemp | Apocynum cannabinum |
| Floss flower | Ageratum houstonianum |
| Forget-Me-Nots | Myosotis |
| Gayfeather, Blazing Star | Liatris species |
| Goldenrod | Solidago species |
| Heliotrope, Cherry Pie | Heliotropium |
| Joe-Pye Weed | Eupatorium fistulosum, purpurea |
| Lantana, Shrub Verbena (poisonous) | Lantana camara |
| Lavender (repels deer) | Lavandula species; esp. L. x intermedia 'Grosso' |
| Marigolds | Tagetes; esp. single-flowered varieties like Signet Group |
| Milkweeds | Asclepias species |
| Oregano, Marjoram | Origanum |
| Pennyroyal Mint (repels deer) | Mentha pulegium |
| Purple Coneflower Note: one club member has reported some problems with deer eating Purple Coneflower. |
Echinacea purpurea |
| Queen of the Prairie | Filipendula rubra |
| Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis |
| Speedwell, Veronica | Veronica |
| Sweet Alyssum | Lobularia maritima |
| Tansy | Tanacetum species |
| Tickseed | Coreopsis species |
| Tiger Lily | Lilium lancifolium |
| Verbena, Vervain | Verbena species, such as Verbena bonariensis |
| Yarrow | Achillea species |
| Zinnias | Zinnia species |
| Plants | Butterfly Species Which Use Plant |
| Bugbane Cimicifuga |
Appalachian Azure |
| Dogwood Cornus species |
Spring Azure |
| Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginianum |
Olive (Juniper) Hairstreak |
| Hollyhocks Alcea rosea |
Checkered Skipper, Painted Lady |
| False Indigo Baptisia species |
Indigo Duskywing |
| Labrador Violet Viola labradorica |
Fritillaries |
| Locust tree Robinia |
Silver-Spotted Skipper |
| Milkweeds Asclepias species |
Monarch |
| Parsley Petroselinum crispa |
Black Swallowtail |
| Rue Ruta graveolens |
Black Swallowtail |
| Sassafras Sassafras albidum |
Spicebush Swallowtail |
| Spicebush Lindera benzoin |
Spicebush Swallowtail |
| Thistles Cirsium species |
Painted Lady |
| Turtlehead Chelone glabra |
Baltimore Checkerspot |
| Viburnums | Spring Azure, Henry's Elfin |
| Willows Salix species |
Dreamy Duskywing, Striped Hairstreak, Mourning Cloak, Viceroy |
Abugattas, Alonso. "Re: Butterflies love; deer don't?" E-mail to the webmaster. 2 May 2001.
Brickell, Christopher, and Judith D. Zuk, editors-in-chief. The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants (New York: DK Publishing Inc., 1997).
Chorba, Jeff. Designing for Deer Resistance: Combining Flora with Fauna. 7 May 01. http://home.ptd.net/~jchorba/green1.htm
——. Deer Resistant Plants. 7 May 01. http://home.ptd.net/~jchorba/deerlist.htm
Cornell University, developed by. Deer Resistant Plant List. Deerbusters.com 7 May 01. http://stores.yahoo.com/deerbusterscom/deerresplanl.html
Lapp, Joe. "Re: Butterflies love; deer don't?" E-mail to the webmaster. 3 May 2001.
Raun, Eric. "Re: Butterflies love; deer don't?" E-mail to the webmaster. 2 May 2001.
Szerlag, Nancy. "Call a horticulture agent or the MSU hot line with urgent questions." (Second page). Detroitnews.com 14 August 1999. 7 May 01.
http://detroitnews.com/homestyl/9908/14/garden/garden.htm
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