8 Deer-Resistant Annuals to Brighten Up Your Garden

Calendula:

Also known as pot marigold, calendula features cheerful flowers in shades of cream, yellow, and orange. The foliage's scent deters deer, making it a great choice for planting along walkways or in mixed containers.

Spider Flower (Cleome):

With pink, purple, or white flowers, spider flowers attract pollinators but repel deer. Their large flower clusters add a tropical look to gardens, and they often re-seed themselves under favorable conditions.

Ageratum:

Ageratum, or floss flower, offers fuzzy blooms in shades of purple, pink, and white. These non-stop blooming annuals add soft texture to plantings and are perfect for edging borders or as cut flowers.

Annual Salvias:

Annual salvias come in various colors and lure pollinators to gardens. Their upright spikes of flowers bloom all summer long and are striking when planted in masses or drifts.

Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana):

Flowering tobacco features clusters of fragrant white, pink, red, or purple flowers on tall stems. While its scent is delightful, it's toxic if eaten and thus avoided by deer.

Snapdragon:

Snapdragon flowers thrive in cooler weather, producing stems of small flowers in various shades. They add a colorful vertical accent to borders and are excellent for cutting.

Angelonia:

Angelonia flowers cover plants from early summer through fall without needing deadheading. Resembling small snapdragons, they come in pink, purple, or white and withstand both heat and drought.

Globe Amaranth:

This carefree annual produces perky rounded flower heads all summer long, attracting butterflies and tolerating drought. It's ideal for borders, container gardens, and for cutting or drying.