Deer-Proofing Your Bay Area Garden
Garden Guides | Garden Design Service
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Written by Kathy Crane, owner, Yerba Buena California Native Plant Nursery |
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Printable Version |
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Part of country life means sharing our gardens with deer. Afternoons at Yerba Buena Nursery, we regularly have a herd of 17 deer in our meadow. The main deer trail traverses the Nursery entrance, giving us an opportunity to test deer preferences by our planting choices. |
Here’s what we know:
1) Good fences make deer move to your neighbors! (And that’s not fair!) A small fenced area gives you a chance to grow vegetables, fruit, or a few roses. Consider the location of your deer trail when selecting where to place your fenced garden. Deer need a way to get from one property to another and have long established routes. Leave a trail open to them.
2) Deer populations vary in their tastes according to geographic area. Try using native plants which have proven successful for your neighbors. Chances are, the local deer have similar preferences/disdain for certain plants. See below for our list of “deer resistant” plants here at Yerba Buena Nusery.
3) A hungry deer will eat anything. Early in the spring, nature provides more deer food. During birthing season, mothers get hungrier! Summer into Fall means less food and a need to get water by chewing on plants. Spray Deer Repellent on favorite plants now!
4) Young, tender plants taste better to deer than older, established plants. Even among “deer resistant” plants, nursery soil imparts special flavor which dissipates over time. Young plants which are “tasted” can’t sacrifice too many leaves. Protect these plants with a physical barrier and/or spray until established. Plants must be individually caged, using a solid metal stake that the deer cannot push down
5) Deer can only reach so high (sometimes on their hind legs that is pretty high). Vines like Vitis californica (Wild grape) or shrubs like Rhamnus californica (Coffeeberry) can be protected until they grow taller than deer can reach.
6) Planting a deer resistant group of plants in front of non- deer resistant plants can sometimes dissuade deer. For instance, using Berberis aquifolium, Ribes speciosum or even large Bunch grasses along the deer route and planting behind these with deer preferred plants sometimes discourages deer.
7) If the deer browse your plants, don’t despair! Sometimes this unorthodox pruning method results in fuller, bushier plants in the long run.
8.) Why Not Just Feed The Deer?!
If all else fails, consider this perspective: Most people continually complain that deer eat everything. However, one kind customer took us aback when he asked us to recommend plants that the deer COULD eat. He had fenced a private garden. Outside the fence, he wanted to plant an area with food that the deer could enjoy!
Yerba Buena Nursery
“Deer Resistant” Native Plant List
for Bay Area
Gardens
We hesitate to publish a list of deer resistant plants for an obvious reason: Deer do not read lists! Having said this, we offer the following recommendations.
**Plants on this list will vary in their deer resistant qualities depending on age of the plant, tastes of your deer and the time of the year.**
** Individual plant caging and deer repellent spray may need to be used in combination with the planting of “deer resistant” plants.**
Trees
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Deer Resistance |
| Acer circinatum | Vine Maple | Moderate |
| Acer macrophyllum | Big Leaf Maple | Moderate |
| Aesculus californica | California Buckeye | Moderate |
| Arbutus menziesii | Madrone | Moderate |
| Calocedrus decurrens | Incense Cedar | High |
| Cupressus abramsiana | Santa Cruz Cypress | High |
| Cupressus arizonica 'Blue Pyramid' | Arizona Cypress | High |
| Cupressus lawsoniana | Lawson Cypress | High |
| Cupressus macnabiana | McNab Cypress | High |
| Cupressus macr. | Monterey Cypress | High |
| Cupressus macr. 'Saligna Aurea' | Weeping Monterey Cypress | High |
| Cupressus sargentii | Sargent Cypress | High |
| Juglans californica var. hindsii | N. California Black Walnut | Moderate |
| Lyonothamnus flor. ssp. asplen. | Fernleaf Catalina Ironwood | Moderate |
| Pinus attenuata | Knobcone Pine | High |
| Pinus sabiniana | Gray Pine | High |
| Platanus racemosa | Western Sycamore | Moderate |
| Pseudostuga menziesii | Douglas Fir | Moderate |
| Quercus agrifolia | Coast Live Oak | Moderate |
| Quercus chrysolepis | Canyon Live Oak | Moderate |
| Quercus garryana | Oregon White Oak | Moderate |
| Quercus lobata | Valley Oak | Moderate |
| Sambucus mexicana | Blue Elderberry | Moderate |
| Sequoia sempervirens | Redwood | High |
| Sequoia semp. 'Aptos Blue' | Coast Redwood | High |
| Sequoia semp. 'Emily Brown' | Coast Redwood | High |
| Sequoia semp. 'Filoli' | Coast Redwood | High |
| Sequoia semp. 'Simpson's Silver' | Coast Redwood | High |
| Sequoia semp. 'Soquel' | Coast Redwood | High |
| Sequoiadendron giganteum | Giant Sequoia | High |
| Torreya californica | California Nutmeg | High |
Shrubs
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Deer Resistance |
| Adenostoma fasciculatum | Chamise | High |
| Arctostaphylos andersonii | Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos auriculata | Mount Diablo Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos auriculata 'Knobcone Point' | Mount Diablo Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos 'Austin Griffith' | 'Austin Griffith' Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos bakeri 'Louis Edmunds' | Serpentine Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Harmony' | Vine Hill Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn' | Vine Hill Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Sentinel' | Vine Hill Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos 'Dr. Hurd' | Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos edmundsii 'Bert Johnson' | Bronze Mat Manzanita | High |
| Arctostaphylos edmundsii 'Big Sur' | Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos edmundsii 'Carmel Sur' | Bronze Mat Manzanita | High |
| Arctostaphylos 'Emerald Carpet' | 'Emerald Carpet' Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos glauca | Bigberry Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos 'Greensphere' | Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos hookeri 'Ken Taylor' | Monterey Manzanita | High |
| Arctostaphylos hookeri ssp. franciscana | Franciscan Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos hookeri ssp. ravenii | Presidio Manzanita | High |
| Arctostaphylos hookeri 'Wayside' | 'Wayside' Monterey Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos hookeri x pajaroensis 'Sunset' | Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos imbricata | San Bruno Mt. Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos insularis 'Canyon Sparkles' | Island Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos 'John Dourley' | 'John Dourley' Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos manzanita 'St. Helena' | Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos manzanita x unk 'Hood Mountain' | Manzanita | High |
| Arctostaphylos nummularia | Fort Bragg Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos 'Pacific Mist' | 'Pacific Mist' Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos pajaroensis 'Paradise' | Pajaro Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos pajaroensis 'Warren Roberts' | Pajaro Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos refugioensis | Refugio Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos regismontana | King's Mountain Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos rudis 'Vandenberg' | Shaggy-Barked Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos 'Seaspray' | 'Seaspray' Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos tomentosa var. rosei | Rose's Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Green Supreme' | 'Green Supreme' Bearberry | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Point Reyes' | 'Pt. Reyes' Bearberry | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Radiant' | 'Radiant' Bearberry | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'San Bruno Mountain' | 'San Bruno Mtn.' Bearberry | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ssp. leo-breweri | Leo Brewer's Manzanita | Moderate |
| Arctostaphylos 'Winterglow' | Winterglow Manzanita | Moderate |
| Artemisia californica | California Sagebrush | High |
| Artemisia californica 'Canyon Grey' | California Sagebrush | High |
| Artemisia californica 'Montara' | California Sagebrush | Moderate |
| Artemisia pycnocephala 'David's Choice' | Sand Hill Sage | High |
| Artemisia tridentata | Big Sagebrush | High |
| Baccharis pilularis 'Pigeon Pt.' | Dwarf Coyote Bush | High |
| Baccharis pilularis var. consanguinea | Coyote Bush | High |
| Baileya multiradiata | Desert Marigold | Moderate |
| Berberis aquifolium | Oregon Grape | High |
| Berberis aquifolium 'Skylark' | 'Skylark' Oregon Grape | Moderate |
| Berberis aquifolium ssp. compacta | Oregon Grape | High |
| Berberis 'Golden Abundance' | Oregon Grape | High |
| Berberis 'Ken Hartman' | Oregon Grape | Moderate |
| Berberis nevinii | Nevin Barberry | High |
| Berberis repens | Creeping Barberry | High |
| Calycanthus occidentalis | Spice Bush | High |
| Ceanothus 'Centennial' | Wild Lilac | Moderate |
| Ceanothus cuneatus | Buckbrush | High |
| Ceanothus cuneatus var. rigidus 'Snowball' | Wild Lilac | High |
| Ceanothus 'Dark Star' | Wild Lilac | High |
| Ceanothus 'Ebbets Field' | Dwarf Wild Lilac | High |
| Ceanothus gloriosus 'Anchor Bay' | Point Reyes Ceanothus | Moderate |
| Ceanothus gloriosus 'Heart's Desire' | Glory Mat | Moderate |
| Ceanothus gloriosus ssp. exaltatus 'Emily Brown' | Point Reyes Ceanothus | High |
| Ceanothus hearstiorum | Hearst Ceanothus | Moderate |
| Ceanothus impressus 'Mesa Lilac' | California-Lilac | Moderate |
| Ceanothus impressus 'Vandenberg' | Santa Barbara Ceanothus | High |
| Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps' | Wild Lilac | Moderate |
| Ceanothus maritimus 'Frosty Dawn' | Maritime Ceanothus | Moderate |
| Ceanothus maritimus 'Point Sierra' | Maritime Ceanothus | Moderate |
| Ceanothus 'Wheeler Canyon' | Wild Lilac | Moderate |
| Cercocarpus betuloides | Western Mountain Mahogany | Moderate |
| Chamaebatiaria millefolium | Fern Bush | High |
| Comarostaphylos diversifolia | Summer Holly | High |
| Corylus cornuta var. californica | California Hazelnut | Moderate |
| Dirca occidentalis | Western Leatherwood | High |
| Ericameria ericoides | Golden Heather | High |
| Eriogonum arborescens | Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat | High |
| Eriogonum fasciculatum 'Theodore Payne' | California Buckwheat | High |
| Eriogonum fasciculatum var. fasciculatum | California Buckwheat | Moderate |
| Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum | California Buckwheat | Moderate |
| Eriogonum giganteum | Saint Catherine's Lace | Moderate |
| Eriophyllum confertiflorum | Golden Yarrow | High |
| Eriophyllum nevinii | Nevin's Eriophyllum | High |
| Fremontodendron 'California Glory' | Flannelbush | Moderate |
| Fremontodendron californicum ssp. crassifolium | Flannel Bush | Moderate |
| Fremontodendron 'Pacific Sunset' | Flannelbush | Moderate |
| Garrya elliptica 'Evie' | Coast Silktassel | Moderate |
| Garrya elliptica 'James Roof' | Coast Silk Tassel | Moderate |
| Gaultheria shallon | Salal | High |
| Heteromeles arbutifolia 'Davis Gold' | 'Davis Gold' Toyon | Moderate |
| Holodiscus discolor | Cream Bush | High |
| Isomeris arborea | Bladderpod | High |
| Lepechinia calycina | Pitcher Sage | High |
| Lepechinia fragrans | Island Pitcher Sage | High |
| Lepechinia fragrans 'El Tigre' | Island Pitcher Sage | High |
| Lonicera involucrata | Twinberry | High |
| Lupinus albifrons | Silver Bush Lupine | High |
| Lupinus arboreus - -- Lavender | Yellow Bush Lupine | Moderate |
| Lupinus arboreus - purple form | Purple Bush Lupine | Moderate |
| Malacothamnus fasciculatus | Chaparral Mallow | High |
| Malacothamnus fremontii | Fremont's Bush Mallow | High |
| Mimulus clevelandii | Monkeyflower | Moderate |
| Mimulus 'Kathy's Pink' | Pink Monkeyflower | Moderate |
| Mimulus longiflorus ssp. calycinus | Monkeyflower | Moderate |
| Myrica californica | Pacific Wax Myrtle | High |
| Neviusia cliftonii | Snow-Wreath | Moderate |
| Nolina parryi | Beargrass | High |
| Perityle incana | Perityle | High |
| Physocarpus capitatus | Pacific Ninebark | Moderate |
| Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea | High |
| Rhamnus crocea | Red Berry | High |
| Rhus integrifolia | Lemonade Berry | High |
| Rhus ovata | Sugarbush | High |
| Rhus trilobata | Squawbush | Moderate |
| Ribes indecorum | White-Flowered Currant | High |
| Ribes malvaceum | Chaparral Currant | Moderate |
| Ribes malvaceum 'Barrie Coate' | Chaparral Currant | Moderate |
| Ribes malvaceum 'Dancing Tassels' | Chaparral Currant | Moderate |
| Ribes malvaceum 'Montara Rose' | Chaparral Currant | High |
| Ribes malvaceum 'Rinconada Rose' | Chaparral Currant | Moderate |
| Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum | Pink Flowering Currant | High |
| Ribes speciosum | Fuchsia-Flowered Gooseberry | High |
| Ribes thatcherianum | Santa Cruz Island Gooseberry | High |
| Ribes viburnifolium | Catalina Currant | High |
| Rosa californica | Wild California Rose | High |
| Rosa gymnocarpa | Wood Rose | High |
| Rosa spithamea | Ground Rose | Moderate |
| Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana | Interior Rose | Moderate |
| Rubus spectabilis | Salmon Berry | High |
| Salvia apiana | White Sage | High |
| Salvia 'Bee's Bliss' | Sage | High |
| Salvia brandegei | Santa Rosa Island Sage | High |
| Salvia brandegei 'Pacific Blue' | Santa Rosa Island Sage | High |
| Salvia clevelandii | Cleveland Sage | High |
| Salvia clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman' | Cleveland Sage | High |
| Salvia 'Dara's Choice' | Dara's Choice Hybrid Sage | High |
| Salvia leucophylla | Purple Sage | High |
| Salvia leucophylla 'Amethyst Bluff' | Amethyst Bluff Purple Sage | High |
| Salvia leucophylla 'Figueroa' | Purple Sage | High |
| Salvia leucophylla 'Point Sal' | Purple Sage | High |
| Salvia mellifera | Black Sage | High |
| Salvia mellifera 'Green Carpet' | Prostrate Black Sage | High |
| Salvia mellifera 'Terra Seca' | 'Terra Seca' Black Sage | High |
| Salvia mellifera x ? 'Shirley's Creeper' | Black Sage Hybrid | High |
| Salvia mellifera x leucophylla | Hybrid Sage | High |
| Salvia 'Pinkie' | Sage | High |
| Salvia sonom. 'Hobbit Toes' | Creeping Sage | High |
| Salvia 'Vicki Romo' | Hybrid Sage | High |
| Salvia x clevelandii 'Allen Chickering' | Cleveland Sage Hybrid | High |
| Salvia x clevelandii 'Aromas' | Cleveland Sage Hybrid | High |
| Salvia x clevelandii 'Pozo Blue' | Cleveland Sage Hybrid | High |
| Salvia x clevelandii 'Whirly Blue' | Cleveland Sage Hybrid | High |
| Sambucus racemosa ssp. racemosa | Red Elderberry | Moderate |
| Solanum umbelliferum 'Spring Frost' | Nightshade | High |
| Solanum xanti var. obispoense 'Navajo Creek' | Nightshade | High |
| Solanum xantii 'Salmon Creek' | Nightshade | High |
| Styrax officinalis | Snowdrop Bush | Moderate |
| Symphoricarpos albus | Snowberry | High |
| Symphoricarpos albus 'Tilden Park' | Snowberry | Moderate |
| Trichostema lanatum | Woolly Blue Curls | High |
| Vaccinium ovatum | Huckleberry | High |
| Venegasia carpesioides | Canyon-Sunflower | High |
| Xylococcus bicolor | Mission Manzanita | Moderate |
| Yucca whipplei | Our Lord's Candle | High |
Perennials
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Deer Resistance |
| Achillea millefolium - pink | Pink Yarrow | High |
| Achillea millefolium 'Calistoga' | Grey-Leaved Yarrow | Moderate |
| Achillea millefolium 'King Range' | White Yarrow | High |
| Achillea millefolium 'Sonoma Coast' | Sonoma White Yarrow | Moderate |
| Actea rubra | Baneberry | High |
| Agave deserti | Agave | High |
| Anemopsis californica | Yerba Mansa | Moderate |
| Aralia californica | Elk Clover | Moderate |
| Artemisia douglasiana | Mugwort | High |
| Artemisia ludoviciana albula 'Silver Queen' | Silver Wormwood | High |
| Artemisia ludoviciana 'Silver King' | Wormwood | High |
| Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis' | Silver Wormwood | High |
| Asarum caudatum | Wild Ginger | Moderate |
| Asclepias cordifolia | Purple Milkweed | High |
| Asclepias eriocarpa | Indian Milkweed | High |
| Asclepias fascicularis | Butterfly Weed | High |
| Asclepias speciosa | Showy Milkweed | High |
| Aster chilensis | Chilean Aster | Moderate |
| Cardamine californica | Milk Maids | Moderate |
| Cynoglossum grande | Hounds Tongue | Moderate |
| Darmera peltata | Umbrella Plant | High |
| Datura wrightii | Jimson Weed | High |
| Delphinium californicum | California Larkspur | Moderate |
| Dicentra formosa | Western Bleeding Heart | High |
| Dudleya setchelli | Santa Clara Valley Dudleya | High |
| Epilobium 'Brilliant Smith' - (Zausch.) | California Fuchsia | Moderate |
| Epilobium canum 'Calistoga' | California Fuchsia | Moderate |
| Epilobium canum 'Catalina' | California Fuchsia | High |
| Epilobium canum ssp. canum - (Zausch.) | California Fuchsia | High |
| Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium | California Fuchsia | High |
| Epilobium 'Hurricane Point' | California Fuchsia | High |
| Epilobium sept. 'Select Mattole' | California Fuchsia | High |
| Epilobium sept. 'Wayne's Silver' - (Zausch.) | California Fuchsia | High |
| Epipactis gigantea 'Serpentine Night' | Stream Orchid | Moderate |
| Equisetum hyemale | Horsetail | High |
| Erigeron glaucus | Seaside Daisy | High |
| Erigeron glaucus 'Bountiful' | Seaside Daisy | Moderate |
| Erigeron glaucus 'Cape Sebastian' | Seaside Daisy | Moderate |
| Erigeron glaucus 'Sea Breeze' | Seaside Daisy | Moderate |
| Erigeron 'Wayne Roderick' | Seaside Daisy | High |
| Eriogonum crocatum | Saffron Buckwheat | High |
| Eriogonum elongatum | Buckwheat | High |
| Eriogonum grande var. rubescens | Rosey Buckwheat | High |
| Eriogonum latifolium | Chalk Buckwheat | High |
| Eriogonum nudum | Buckwheat | High |
| Eriogonum umb. 'Excellent Yellow' | Sulfur Buckwheat | High |
| Eriogonum umb. var. polyanth. 'Shasta Sulphur' | Sulfur Buckwheat | High |
| Eriophyllum lanatum | Dwarf Woolly Daisy | High |
| Erysimum concinnum | Coast Wallflower | High |
| Erysimum franciscanum | San Francisco Wallflower | Moderate |
| Erysimum insulare var. suffrutescens | Dune Wallflower | Moderate |
| Fragaria californica (vesca) | Woodland Strawberry | Moderate |
| Fragaria chiloensis | Beach Strawberry | Moderate |
| Geranium californicum | Wild Geranium | Moderate |
| Grindelia stricta ssp. venulosa | Gum Plant | High |
| Heracleum lanatum | Cow Parsnip | High |
| Heterotheca sess. ssp. bol. 'San Bruno Mtn.' | Golden Aster | High |
| Heuchera 'Canyon Delight' | 'Canyon Delight' Coral Bells | Moderate |
| Heuchera sp. - pink flowered form | Pink-Flowered Coral Bells | Moderate |
| Hoita macrostachya | Hoita (Psoralea) | High |
| Iris bracteata | Iris | High |
| Iris chrysophylla | Iris | High |
| Iris 'Deep Magic' | Iris 'Deep Magic' | High |
| Iris douglasiana | Douglas Iris | High |
| Iris douglasiana - deep purple form | Douglas Iris - Purple Form | High |
| Iris 'Escalona' | PCH-Iris | High |
| Iris fernaldii | Fernald's Iris | Moderate |
| Iris 'Idylwild' | PCH-Iris | High |
| Iris innominata | Del Norte Iris | High |
| Iris macrosiphon 'Mt. Madonna' | Ground Iris | High |
| Iris 'Native Warrior' | Dwarf PCH Iris | High |
| Iris 'San Lorenzo Valley' | PCH Iris | High |
| Iris 'Snow Queen' | PCH Iris | High |
| Iris 'Stroke of Midnight' | PCH-Iris | Moderate |
| Iris 'Tiki' | PCH Iris | High |
| Iris x douglasiana 'Canyon Snow' | 'Canyon Snow' Iris | High |
| Juncus effusus var. pacificus 'Quartz Creek' | Soft Rush | High |
| Keckiella 'Roy Taylor' | Shrubby Penstemon | Moderate |
| Lessingia filaginifolia 'Silver Carpet' | California Beach Aster | High |
| Lewisia cotyledon | Broad Leaf Lewisia | High |
| Linum lewisii | Western Blue Flax | High |
| Lobelia cardinalis | Scarlet Lobelia | High |
| Lobelia dunnii var. serrata | Blue Lobelia | High |
| Lupinus albifrons var. collinus | Dwarf Silver Bush Lupine | High |
| Lupinus polyphyllus | Marsh Lupine | Moderate |
| Mimulus - Purple | Monkeyflower Hybrid | High |
| Mimulus - White | Monkeyflower | Moderate |
| Mimulus aurantiacus | Sticky Monkeyflower | High |
| Mimulus bifidus | Apricot Monkeyflower | High |
| Mimulus cardinalis | Scarlet Monkeyflower | High |
| Mimulus 'Changeling' | Monkeyflower | High |
| Mimulus 'Classic Purple' | Purple Monkeyflower | Moderate |
| Mimulus 'Dark Red' | Hybrid Monkeyflower | Moderate |
| Mimulus 'Eleanor' | Monkeyflower | High |
| Mimulus guttatus | Seep Monkeyflower | High |
| Mimulus lewisii | Monkeyflower | High |
| Mimulus longiflorus | Southern Bush Monkeyflower | High |
| Mimulus longiflorus 'Topanga Canyon' | Southern Sticky Monkey Flower | High |
| Mimulus longiflorus var. rutilis | Red Velvet Monkeyflower | High |
| Mimulus puniceus | Red Bush Monkeyflower | High |
| Mimulus 'Ruby Silver' | Ruby-Colored Monkeyflower | High |
| Monardella macrantha | Hummingbird Mint | High |
| Monardella villosa | Common Coyote Mint | High |
| Monardella villosa ssp. franciscana | Common Coyote Mint | High |
| Oxalis oregana | Redwood Sorrel | Moderate |
| Penstemon eatonii | Eaton's Penstemon | High |
| Penstemon heterophyllus | Blue Bedder Penstemon | Moderate |
| Penstemon heterophyllus 'Blue Springs' | 'Blue Springs' Penstemon | High |
| Penstemon newberryi var. sonom. 'St. Helena' | Mountain Pride | Moderate |
| Penstemon palmeri | Palmer's Penstemon | Moderate |
| Penstemon procerus | Whorled Penstemon | Moderate |
| Penstemon spectabilis | Royal Penstemon | High |
| Petasites palmatus | Western Coltsfoot | High |
| Phacelia bol. | Caterpillar Flower | Moderate |
| Plantago subnuda | Coastal Plantain | High |
| Polygonum paronychia | Dune Knotweed | High |
| Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata | Self-heal | Moderate |
| Romneya coulteri | Matilija Poppy | High |
| Salvia spathacea | Hummingbird Sage | High |
| Salvia spathacea 'Powerline Pink' | Hummingbird Sage | High |
| Satureja douglasii | Yerba Buena | High |
| Satureja mimuloides | Red-Flowered Wild Savory | High |
| Scrophularia californica | California Figwort | Moderate |
| Sedum oreganum | Stonecrop | High |
| Sedum spathulifolium | Stonecrop | High |
| Sidalcea malvaeflora | Checker Bloom | Moderate |
| Sidalcea malvaeflora 'Palustre' | Checker Bloom | Moderate |
| Silene californica | Indian Pink | Moderate |
| Sisyrinchium bellum | Blue-Eyed-Grass | High |
| Sisyrinchium bellum 'Arroyo de la Cruz' | Blue Eyed Grass | High |
| Sisyrinchium bellum 'Rocky Point' | Dwarf Blue-Eyed Grass | Moderate |
| Sisyrinchium californicum | Yellow-Eyed-Grass | Moderate |
| Smilacina stellata | Slim Solomon Seal | High |
| Solanum umbelliferum var. incanum | Nightshade | High |
| Solanum wallacei | Island Nightshade | High |
| Solanum xantii 'Navajo Creek' | Nightshade | High |
| Tellima grandiflora | Fringe Cups | High |
| Thalictrum fendleri var. polycarpum | Meadow-Rue | High |
| Thermopsis macrophylla | Golden Pea | Moderate |
| Tolmiea menziesii | Piggy-Back Plant | High |
| Vancouveria hexandra | Redwood Ivy | Moderate |
| Verbena hastata | Verbena | Moderate |
| Verbena lilacina 'De la Mina' | Cedros Island Verbena | Moderate |
| Viola pedunculata | Johnny Jump-Up | Moderate |
| Viola semp. | Evergreen Violet | Moderate |
| Whipplea modesta | Yerba de Selva | Moderate |
| Xerophyllum tenax | Beargrass | High |
Grasses/Sedges/Rushes
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Deer Resistance |
| Calamagrostis foliosa | Leafy Reed Grass | High |
| Calamagrostis nutkaensis | Pacific Reed Grass | High |
| Carex praegracilis | Clustered Field Sedge | High |
| Deschampsia caespitosa | Tufted Hair Grass | High |
| Deschampsia caespitosa 'Susan's Choice' | Tufted Hair Grass | High |
| Deschampsia cespitosa ssp. holciformis | Tufted Hairgrass | High |
| Festuca californica | California Fescue | High |
| Festuca californica 'Horse Mountain' | California Fescue | High |
| Festuca californica 'Scott Mountain' | Silver-Gray California Fescue | High |
| Festuca californica 'Serpentine Blue' | California Fescue | High |
| Festuca idahoensis | Idaho Fescue | High |
| Festuca idahoensis 'Tomales Bay' | Tomales Bay Idaho Fescue | High |
| Festuca 'Siskiyou Blue' | Fescue | High |
| Hierochloe occidentale | Vanilla Grass | High |
| Juncus patens | Common Rush | High |
| Juncus patens 'Elk Blue' | Blue Rush | High |
| Leymus condensatus 'Canyon Prince' | Giant Wild Rye | High |
| Melica californica | California Melic | High |
| Melica imperfecta | Coastrange Melic | High |
| Muhlenbergia rigens | Deer Grass | High |
| Nassella cernua | Nodding Needle Grass | High |
| Nassella pulchra | Purple Needle Grass | High |
| Scirpus cernuus | Fiber Optic Grass | High |
Native Ferns
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Deer Resistance |
| Adiantum aleuticum (syn. pedatum) | Five-Finger Fern | High |
| Adiantum capillus-veneris | Venus-Hair Fern | High |
| Adiantum jordanii | California Maidenhair | High |
| Adiantum x tracyi | Maidenhair | High |
| Athyrium filix-femina | Lady Fern | High |
| Blechnum spicant | Deer Fern | High |
| Dryopteris arguta | Coastal Wood Fern | High |
| Pellaea andromedifolia | Coffee Fern | High |
| Pellaea mucronata | Bird's-Foot Fern | High |
| Pentagramma triangularis | Goldback Fern | High |
| Polypodium californicum | California Polypody | High |
| Polypodium californicum 'Sarah Lyman' | California Polypody | Moderate |
| Polystichum munitum | Western Sword Fern | High |
| Pteridium aquilinum | Western Bracken Fern | High |
| Woodwardia fimbriata | Giant Western Chain Fern | High |
Annuals
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Deer Resistance |
| Cirsium occidentale | Cobweb Thistle | High |
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