Ornamental grasses are very popular and are being used more and more in landscape design. Hardy grass adds color and texture to landscapes year-around. Some grasses have leaf blades with small sawtooth teeth on the edges. Other grasses have sharp edges that will cut like a honed knife. Below is a chart of deer resistant ornamental grass. It is possible for deer to eat any plant material if deer populations are high and plant material availability is low, but these varieties should be their last choice. Planting resistant ornamental grass helps round out the variety of plants in your landscape. They can be planted in rows to help set up a barrier that may discourage local deer. I have include the state that their state research lists as resistant in their state.
BOTANICAL NAME | COMMON NAME | COMMENTS | ZONE OR STATE SOURCE |
Acorus species | Japanese Sweet Flag | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Andropogon species | Big Bluestem | Deer resistant grass | NJ,TX |
Aristida purpurea | Purple Treeawn | Deer resistant grass | TX |
Arrhenatherum elatius | Variegated Oat Grass | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Arundo donax | Giant Reed Grass | Deer resistant grass | NJ,OR, |
Bouteloua curtipendula | Sideoats Grama | Native to Texas | TX |
Buchloe dactyliodes | Buffalo Grass | Native to Texas | TX |
Calamagrostis brachytricha | Korean Feather Reed Grass | Deer resistant grass | NC |
Calamagrostis species | Feather Reed Grass | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Carex species | Japanese Sedge | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Chasmanthium latifolium | River Oats/Sea Oats | Native to Southeastern US | NC,NJ,TX |
Cortaderia selloeana | Pampas Grass | Deer resistant grass | NC,NJ |
Equisetum arvense | Horsetail | Toxic all parts | TX |
Eragrostus curvula | Weeping Love Grass | Deer resistant grass | TX, NJ |
Erianthus ravennae | Ravenna Grass | Deer resistant grass | TX,NJ |
Fargesia species | Clump Bamboo | Deer resistant grass | TX,NJ |
Festuca glauca | Blue Fescue | Deer resistant grass | TX,NJ, |
Hakonechoa macra | Hakonechloa | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
| Helictotrichon sempervirens | Blue Oat Grass | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Imperata cylindrica | Japanese Blood Grass | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Juncus effusus | Hard Rush | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Koeleria glauca | Large Blue June Grass | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Leymus arenarius glausous | Lyme Grass | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Miscanthus floridulis | Giant Japanese Silver Grass | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Miscanthus sinensis | Maiden/Jap. Silver Grass | Deer resistant grass | NC,NJ |
Molina caerulea | Purple Moor Grass | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Molina caerulea 'Variegata' | Variegated Purple Moor | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Muhlenbergia capillaris | Pink/ Gulf Coast Muhly Grass | Native to Southeastern US | NC |
Muhlenbergia dubia | Pine Muhly | Native to Texas | TX |
Muhlenbergia dubiodes | Weeping Muhly | Native to Texas | TX |
Muhlenbergia lindheimeri | Blue Muhly Grass | Native to Southeastern US | NC |
Muhlenbergia rigens | Metcalf Muhly | Native to Texas | TX, |
Ophiopogon japonica | Mondo Grass | Deer resistant grass | TX |
Panicum virgatum | Panic Grass/Switch Grass | Native to Southeastern US | NC,NJ |
Pennisetum alopecuriodes | Fountain Grass | Deer resistant grass | NC,NJ |
Pennisetum orientale | Oriental Fountain Grass | Deer resistant grass | NC,NJ |
Phyllostachys aurea | Golden Bamboo | Deer resistant grass | NJ |
Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem | Native to Texas | NJ,TX |
Sorghastrum nutans | Indian Grass | Native to Southeastern US | NC,NJ |
Stipa tenuissima | Mexican Feathergrass | Native to Southeastern US | TX |
