Peonies. Both Tree and herbaceous. Deer never eat them in my garden.

I wonder why deer do not eat your Clematis and Rudbekia. My Clematis plants are definitely not deer resistant. And they ate all new growth on the 'Goldsturm' Rudbekia.

Add catmints to the list. I have 'Walker's Low', but there are others.

Thanks!

The clematis are in a hard to reach spot. Yes the deer ate the new growth of my 'Goldsturm' in a different garden.

Yes, catmint would work. One issue is that this is a public garden and catmint has very small flowers and the plant can become a bit overgrown. I agree that 'Walker's Low' is a better cultivar.

Lavender might also work. Which would be better Lavender or Catmint? Lavender dies out after a few years for me.

Tree peony might work. I wonder if it could take the droughty conditions.

Regular peonies usually need staking, which I don't want to do in this particular garden. Are there regular peonies that do not require staking?

Single or Japanese (semi-double) Peonies do not need staking. There are some double Peonies with very strong stems. 'Shirley Temple' for example.

I also would recommend Caryopteris 'Sunshine Blue' and Spirea 'Lemon Princess'. Technically, they are small shrubs, but they look fantastic interplanted with perennials. Both have interesting golden foliage and are gorgeous even when not in bloom.

Any of the Nepetas, Veronicas, coral bells, Russian Sage, Artemesia (Silver Mound is a nice one), Achillea (Yarrow), potentilla, Rosy Glow barberry, Spirea Japonica "Alpina" - small leafed, dusty rose blooms and often reblooms late in the season; also baby's breath and feverfew.

All for sun, easy and never touched by the deer herd... and I live just off the edge of a large in city nature preserve.

Salvias might be a good choice, never had deer eat mine--May Night, Blue Hill, Snow Hill--somewhat drought tolerant, sun-loving, tough, pretty, and can be bought/replaced in big quantities as they're very common and sold absolutely everywhere--(easy to divide, too). Also russian sage and nepeta--anything aromatic-leaved, deer are supposed to hate.

Salvias, Verbascums, Pardancandas, Agastaches, ornamental grasses, Calaminthas, Tanacetum 'Isla Gold'. And small spireas like S. 'Golden Elf' and 'Ogon' are good small shrubs to mix in.

Good list so far, from my deer/woodchuck/rabbit experience. A few more - Euphorbia spp., Stachys, Baptisia, and Platycodon.

Another deer avoided perennial would be Asclepias. I have several varieties and none have ever been bothered by deer or rabbits even though these eating machines go through my yard daily/nightly.

Someone above mentioned Potentilla. Deer do snack on my P. Monarch's Velvet early in the growing season. Just tends to keep the plant at a more reasonable size, so it is ok with me. Keeps me from having to pinch it back. The same with Montauk Daisy. Deer nibble the newer spring growth of this fall blooming daisy, but stop at the right time to let the plant grow to a nice sized mound with little help from me.

I am going to suggest Geraniums also. I also have several varieties of Perennial Geraniums that have never been touched by deer.

Snacking habits of wildlife might be a bit regional - deer will chew on my platycodon.

I have a very large deer and drought tolerant garden here in NC, zone 7b.

The best perennials and ornamentals:

agastache
salvia
nepeta
buddleia
gaillardia
verbena bonariensis
ornamental grasses (miscanthus is my fave)
vitex

annuals (sow seeds):
snapdragons
larkspur
poppies
cleome
nicotiana

Hope this helps (see my blog for many articles on this topic). On the sidebar, look for the "deer resistant" topic to select the stories and photos.

Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: my garden blog

To add to the above lists: Especially native shade plants

For shade:

Ferns - They tend to leave these alone
Sedges (Carex sp) - These are grasslike and deer rarely eat them.
Jack in the Pulpit - These contain a mouth burning acid
Mayapple
Trilliums
Solomon's Seal
False Solomon's Seal
Bugbane (Actaea racemosa)
White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda)
Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioecus)
Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
Creeping Jenny

Sun:

Butterfly Milkweed - Both have milky sap
Red Milkweed
Alliums - Nodding, Prairie, Purple Sensation, Cristophii, Spaerocephelon, chives etc.

Annuals:
Coleus - I've had good luck with deer bypassing these.
Castor Bean plant - poisonous

Shrubs:

Boxwood
Sumacs - Staghorn, Smooth, Gro-low aromatica

Thanks for the ideas.

I will look for more stand alone Peonies for the more shady portion of the garden.

Salvia and Veronica: tend to not increase that much. Maybe some newer varities are OK. I have 'May Night' but it is in a watered garden.

Monkshood -- too poisonous for unmonitored garden.

Baptisia: good idea --forgot to mention that it is in the shadier part of garden, small part of the total.

Nepeta: 'Little Titch' -- this might work.

Lamb's Ears-- this might work, although can become a little ratty.

Thanks again for the ideas.

Echinaceas, Verbascums, Heliopsis, Coreopsis, and Lynchnis Chalcedonica/Coronaria - actually any kind of Lynchnis. No indication as per your zone or where you are but if you can grow Lupines they are another choice. I live in deer territory.

My zone is 7.

Coreopsis has not been long lived for me.

Lychnis, lamb's ears, would work, although can look bad after a few years, but easy enough to replant.

Echinaceas might be worth a try. I have had deer and rabbits eat them.

Coreopsis: I have zagreb. All the others die out, even Moombeam.

Lychnis Coronaria: biannual.

This is a garden with different people working on it, so I am looking for plants that are reliable and stay in place: workhorses and indestructible plants.

Helenium are not long lived for me.

Heliopsis needs staking.

Helianthus can gets aphids.

I will add Jinai Aster and for shadier part Alma Potshka (sp?) aster (which I cut back in May/June).