• According to Rutgers Cooperative Extension's website, deer "repellent" plants do not exist. No plant is truly safe from a hungry deer that is being forced to find food other than its normal diet. However, there are a number of plants that have been classified as "resistant," meaning they are less likely to be munched on by deer. While the best defense against deer is a high fence, focusing your garden choices on the plants that deer usually leave untouched will help move the deer along to a more appealing location.
  
  

Trees and Shrubs

• Holly and other prickly bushes make a suitable barrier when a high fence is not feasible.holly image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
  
  Damage done to ornamental trees by deer rubbing off bark for territorial reasons, or stripping bark to eat, can be extensive. By choosing trees and shrubs that are rarely damaged by deer, you create the foundation of a landscape less likely to invite deer in to eat. Some popular choices may include American holly, Viburnum, barberry, bayberry, sweet elder, bog rosemary, butterfly bush, boxwood, Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Devil's Walking Stick and Eastern red cedar, to name a few. Visit your local cooperative extension office or full-service garden center for the best selection of trees and shrubs acclimated to your growing zone that are rarely damaged by migrating deer.
  
  

Ornamental Flowers

• Globe thistle is a favorite of many insects and birds but is rarely touched by deer.Globe thistle image by cvrgrl from Fotolia.com
  
  Deer will find many ornamental plants, such as annual, perennial and bulbs, to be a tasty snack. Entire flower gardens can be wiped out in one night by a single deer. Look for plants labeled as deer resistance at your local garden center for the best selection of plants for your climate and growing conditions. Popular favorites that may work include purple coneflower, coreopsis, black-eyed Susan, globe thistle, marigold, zinnia, peony, yarrow, foxglove, bleeding heart, dusty miller, cosmos, snapdragon, wax begonia, flax and lamb's ear.
  
  

Vegetable and Herbs

• Mint spreads quickly, so you may consider planting it in plastic containers in the garden bed to keep it at bay.mint image by Lytse from Fotolia.com
  
  Vegetable plants are some of the favorite plants of roaming deer. If you live in a known area of deer, the only true defense you have is a fence either tall enough to keep deer from jumping over, or at least surrounded by prickly shrubs such as barberry, holly and roses that are more likely to deter deer. Herbs with strong scents such as catnip, sage, Mexican oregano and mint are the most unlikely to be eaten by deer.