What are the best deer-resistant shrubs for Colorado?

Our top-ranked deer-resistant shrubs for Front Range yards are Fernbush, Apache plume, Leadplant, and Platinum sage. All are low or low-to-medium water, hardy to zone 4 and fine in alkaline soil, which matters as much as deer resistance here. Deer can still nibble them, especially new spring growth.

What are the best deer-resistant trees for Colorado?

Start with Thornless Common Honeylocust, Downy Hawthorn, Gambel Oak, and One-seed Juniper, each rated deer resistant and Recommended on the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List. Browsing is only half the risk for a young tree: bucks rub trunks to strip antler velvet, and CSU Extension notes trunk tubes may not stop that, so fence or cage new trees.

What are the best deer-resistant perennials for Colorado?

Our top-ranked picks are Black-eyed Susan, Chocolate Flower, Gayfeather, and Beardlip penstemon. Of the 40 perennials our data rates deer resistant, these score best on native status, low water, pollinator value and availability.

What deer-resistant groundcovers grow in Colorado?

For groundcover, Mat penstemon, Orange carpet, and Sulfur buckwheat. Each is rated deer resistant and low or low-to-medium water.

Is any plant deer-proof?

No. CSU Extension says a hungry deer will find almost any plant palatable, and that a plant left alone in one area can be damaged severely in another. Adequate fencing is the only sure way to stop deer damage: CSU's standard deer fence is 8 ft woven wire, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife calls 6 ft or taller the most effective.

Often, yes. None of the 25 roses we cover are rated deer resistant. If you want roses where deer roam, CSU Extension's advice is placement: near the house, inside a fence, or behind a ring of plants deer like less.

Do deer eat lavender or Russian sage?

Usually not: both are rated deer resistant in our data. No plant is deer-proof, though, and new spring growth is when CSU Extension says damage shows up most.

Do deer eat fruit trees and crabapples?

Expect them to try. Only 1 of the 43 apple, crabapple, plum and cherry trees we cover is rated deer resistant. Colorado Parks and Wildlife suggests netting fruit trees, picking fruit before it ripens, and cleaning up fallen fruit.

Which of these are Colorado native?

49 of the 112 plants are Colorado natives, including Apache plume, Beardlip penstemon, Bee Balm/Horsemint, and Big sagebrush.

How much water do these plants need?

101 of the 112 are rated low or low-to-medium water; the rest need moderate water. Each plant's page lists its water rating.

Deer-resistant plants and shrubs for Colorado's Front Range

Compiled by Nicholas Julia · Reviewed against the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List, CSU Extension & Plant Select® · Updated 2026-10-30

Quick answer

The best deer-resistant shrubs for Front Range yards are Fernbush, Apache plume, and Leadplant. For trees, Thornless Common Honeylocust and Downy Hawthorn; for perennials, Black-eyed Susan and Chocolate Flower; for groundcover, Mat penstemon. Deer usually pass these by, but no plant is deer-proof: CSU Extension calls fencing the only sure fix.

Trees, shrubs, groundcover, and perennials that deer tend to leave alone, useful where browsing pressure is high along the Front Range foothills. No plant is truly deer-proof: a hungry deer will sample almost anything, and fresh spring growth takes the most damage.

Top picks by type

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Shrubs
Trees
Perennials
Groundcovers
Not deer proof
Full list

Every pick is rated deer resistant, hardy to zone 4, fine in alkaline soil, low or low-to-medium water, and free of invasive, spreading, dog-toxicity and fails-here flags (trees must also be Recommended on the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List, and we leave out elms because of Dutch elm disease); picks then score a point each for Colorado native, low water, in stock at a retailer we track, Plant Select, high pollinator value, and (trees) Recommended for Most Sites, with ties going alphabetically.

Top 8 shrubs

1FernbushFern-like aromatic foliage.
2Apache plumeIconic native, white flowers in summer, pink feathery seed plumes through fall.
3LeadplantNitrogen-fixing native legume; purple flower spikes in summer; deer-resistant.
4Platinum sageSilver leaves + violet-blue blooms.
5Wax currantPink-white tube flowers attract hummingbirds; red waxy fruits sparse, bird food only.
6BLUE VELVET® honeysucklePink flowers in late spring; red berries; blue-green velvety foliage; deer-resistant.
7Curlleaf mountain mahoganyEvergreen native large shrub / small tree.
8Mountain mahoganyIconic foothills native.

Top 6 trees

1Thornless Common Honeylocust (NORTHERN ACCLAIM®)Rated Recommended for Most Sites, yellow fall color, 30 to 45 ft tall, takes a hot south wall. Note: wrap young trees.
2Downy HawthornRated Recommended for Most Sites, white flowers in spring, 25 to 30 ft tall. Note: rust.
3Gambel OakBronze and red fall color, 15 to 30 ft tall, good on slopes. Note: shrubby habit; susceptible to galls.
4One-seed JuniperIrregular, picturesque needled evergreen, 10 to 20 ft tall, good on slopes. Note: needs a dry site.
5Russian HawthornWhite flowers in spring, 15 to 20 ft tall.
6Cockspur var. inermis HawthornWhite flowers in spring, 20 to 30 ft tall, tough enough for a hellstrip. Note: plant Select®.

Top 8 perennials

1Black-eyed SusanYellow and brown flowers in summer into fall, low water, 24 in tall.
2Chocolate FlowerYellow flowers in spring into summer, low water, 18 in tall.
3GayfeatherPurple and pink flowers in summer into fall, low water, 24 in tall.
4Beardlip penstemonNative penstemon with vivid red tubular flowers, hummingbird magnet.
5BlanketflowerYellow and red flowers in summer into fall, low water, 12 in tall.
6Blue FlaxBlue flowers in spring into summer, low water, 18 in tall.
7Desert Four O’ClockPurple and pink flowers in summer into fall, low water, 18 in tall.
8Firecracker PenstemonFiery scarlet tubular flowers; hummingbird magnet; very drought tolerant evergreen rosette.

Top 6 groundcovers

1Mat penstemonNative mat-forming penstemon with intense blue-purple blooms.
2Orange carpet / hummingbird trumpetTubular orange-red flowers explode in late summer when little else blooms.
3Sulfur buckwheatNative pollinator powerhouse.
4Creeping thyme / wild thymeAromatic; takes light foot traffic.
5Evergreen candytuftSheets of pure white spring blooms over evergreen foliage.
6Russian stonecropMore restrained than S. spurium; star-shaped yellow blooms age to orange.

Deer resistant is not deer proof

CSU Extension puts it plainly: a hungry deer will find almost any plant palatable, so no plant is deer proof. The same species can be left alone in one neighborhood and hammered in the next, and damage shows up most in spring, on new, succulent growth. Read every rating here as "deer usually pass on this", not a promise.

Use these as a buffer. CSU Extension suggests planting the tastier things near the house, in a fenced area, or inside a ring of less-preferred plants.
Water and feed lightly. CSU PlantTalk notes that natives in their own habitat appeal to deer less than heavily watered, heavily fertilized garden plants, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife says deer often prefer non-native shrubs.
Repellents work best on plants deer already dislike, per CSU, so they pair well with this list. The egg-and-water spray CSU rates highly needs reapplying about every 30 days.
Fence what you cannot lose. CSU calls adequate fencing the only sure way to stop deer damage (its standard deer fence is 8 ft woven wire); CPW calls a fence 6 ft or taller the most effective way to keep deer out.
Do not feed them. Feeding deer is illegal in Colorado, per CPW, and it pulls more of them into your yard.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best deer-resistant shrubs for Colorado?: Our top-ranked deer-resistant shrubs for Front Range yards are Fernbush, Apache plume, Leadplant, and Platinum sage. All are low or low-to-medium water, hardy to zone 4 and fine in alkaline soil, which matters as much as deer resistance here. Deer can still nibble them, especially new spring growth.
What are the best deer-resistant trees for Colorado?: Start with Thornless Common Honeylocust, Downy Hawthorn, Gambel Oak, and One-seed Juniper, each rated deer resistant and Recommended on the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List. Browsing is only half the risk for a young tree: bucks rub trunks to strip antler velvet, and CSU Extension notes trunk tubes may not stop that, so fence or cage new trees.
What are the best deer-resistant perennials for Colorado?: Our top-ranked picks are Black-eyed Susan, Chocolate Flower, Gayfeather, and Beardlip penstemon. Of the 40 perennials our data rates deer resistant, these score best on native status, low water, pollinator value and availability.
What deer-resistant groundcovers grow in Colorado?: For groundcover, Mat penstemon, Orange carpet, and Sulfur buckwheat. Each is rated deer resistant and low or low-to-medium water.
Is any plant deer-proof?: No. CSU Extension says a hungry deer will find almost any plant palatable, and that a plant left alone in one area can be damaged severely in another. Adequate fencing is the only sure way to stop deer damage: CSU's standard deer fence is 8 ft woven wire, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife calls 6 ft or taller the most effective.
Do deer eat roses?: Often, yes. None of the 25 roses we cover are rated deer resistant. If you want roses where deer roam, CSU Extension's advice is placement: near the house, inside a fence, or behind a ring of plants deer like less.
Do deer eat lavender or Russian sage?: Usually not: both are rated deer resistant in our data. No plant is deer-proof, though, and new spring growth is when CSU Extension says damage shows up most.
Do deer eat fruit trees and crabapples?: Expect them to try. Only 1 of the 43 apple, crabapple, plum and cherry trees we cover is rated deer resistant. Colorado Parks and Wildlife suggests netting fruit trees, picking fruit before it ripens, and cleaning up fallen fruit.
Which of these are Colorado native?: 49 of the 112 plants are Colorado natives, including Apache plume, Beardlip penstemon, Bee Balm/Horsemint, and Big sagebrush.
How much water do these plants need?: 101 of the 112 are rated low or low-to-medium water; the rest need moderate water. Each plant's page lists its water rating.
How were these plants selected?: Each of the 112 plants meets this page's criteria and is cross-referenced against the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List, CSU Extension, Denver Botanic Gardens, and USDA PLANTS. This is a reference guide, not a paid listing.

Sources

The deer-damage guidance comes from the CSU Extension and Colorado Parks and Wildlife pages below. A plant is on this list only when a cited source rates it: CSU's fact sheet first ("rarely browsed"), then the El Paso and Gilpin County CSU lists. Plants CSU rates "often browsed", or that Arizona Extension's survey finds frequently damaged, are marked that way on their own pages, and plants no source covers are marked not rated. Sizes, water needs and tree list ratings come from each plant's record.