List of deer resistant annuals
Annuals are plants that grow only for one year. You need to start new plants every year. There are not too many annuals that are qualified as deer resistant annuals. I can recommend only annual vinca, snapdragon, marigold, cosmos, cockscomb and zinnia. You can easily raise them from seeds with success. They are useful to fill in the gaps before the perennials and shrubs reach maturity. Most perennials only bloom for two weeks, these annuals provide long period of color until frost.
Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon) are short-lived perennials often grown as annuals in Norther America. They like full sun but can tolerate some shade. There are many varieties with heights ranging from 6 inches to 3 feet. They provide cool season colors from white to purple. The flowers are fragrant and therefore are deer resistant. They do need regular watering of 1 inch per week. Deadheading will prolong the blooming to fall. You can either buy seedlings in early spring or grow them indoor from seeds.
Catharanthus roseus (Annual vinca) has dark glossy emerald leaves and five-petaled blooms of white, pink, purple or red from early summer to fall. They prefer full sun, but can tolerate some shade. They grow up to 6-18 inches tall. No dead-heading is needed. They tolerate drought and are resistant to deer. One can grow them from seeds, cuttings, or live plants from nurseries.
Celosia cristata (Cockscombs) have flowers in a wide range of color from yellow to red. They like hot sun, and will be stunt if set out too early in spring. You can grow cockscombs from seeds indoor in May and transplant them outdoor in July. Their roots do not like to be disturbed, so it is wise to start the seedlings in peat pots and simply bury the whole pot. Alternatively, you can sow the seeds directly on site. Their huge flowers stay fresh for months, and they grow bigger and bigger until frost. Deer do not like to eat cockscombs, but they often pull out the entire seedling out of ground.
The cockscombs showed in the picture are huge, with an average of 2 ft tall. The seeds are available from Jungseed.com. They readily self seed, so you do not have to buy seeds every year. But they tend to germinate only when the soil is warm enough, you need to remove the weeds that came out earlier. When the seedlings appear, thin them to 6 inches apart.
Cosmos bipinnatus (Cosmos) are easy to grow annual for a sunny location. They can be directly sowed outdoors or started in seed-trays indoor. They readily self-seed, so it is not necessary to plant them again in the second year. Cosmos grows to 1-4 feet tall, depending on varieties. The foliage is feathery and fern-like. The flowers are daisy-like in white, pink, orange and red. Avoid over-watering and over-fertilizing. The bloom lasts from early summer to fall. Cutting back to 12-18 inches high will encourage re-bloom. They are drought-tolerant and deer-resistant.
Tagetes spp and hybrids (marigolds) are the favorite annual for a sunny bed. Depending on varieties, they can grow to 10-35 inches tall. They have flowers in creamy white, yellow, orange and mahogany-red. You can grow them easily from seeds indoor in April and transplant them in bed in June. However, you can purchase the ready-to-transplant seedlings from garden stores. They are drought-tolerant, care-free and will keep blooming till frost. Their pungent smell keeps the deer and rabbits away.
Zinnia spp. and hybrids (Zinnias) come with different heights, flower forms and colors, depending on varieties. They love the hot sun and are drought-tolerant. However, some are susceptible to powdery mildew. You can grow them easily from seeds indoor in April and transplant outdoor in June. Deer do not like to eat them.
Other deer resistant plants
For a list of deer resistant perennials, please go to this page.
