Quick answer: 59 deer-resistant native plants are native to Arizona, 41 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
59 species
- American century plant Agave americana · 2 states
- Antelope-horns milkweed Asclepias asperula · 2 states
- Arroyo lupine Lupinus succulentus · 2 states
- Banana yucca Yucca baccata · 8 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Beavertail prickly pear Opuntia basilaris · 1 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 states
- Blackfoot daisy Melampodium leucanthum · 6 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Brittlebush Encelia farinosa · 4 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- California flannelbush Fremontodendron californicum · 3 states
- California fuchsia Epilobium canum · 8 states
- California poppy Eschscholzia californica · 6 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · 41 states
- Chaparral yucca Hesperoyucca whipplei · 2 states
- Chocolate flower Berlandiera lyrata · 6 states
- Colorado blue columbine Aquilegia coerulea · 9 states
- Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora · 7 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common sotol Dasylirion wheeleri · 3 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Creosote bush Larrea tridentata · 6 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Deergrass Muhlenbergia rigens · 5 states
- Desert globemallow Sphaeralcea ambigua · 2 states
- Desert marigold Baileya multiradiata · 4 states
- Firecracker penstemon Penstemon eatonii · 3 states
- Greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula · 9 states
- Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis · 12 states
- Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella · 17 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Joshua tree Yucca brevifolia · 3 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Miniature lupine Lupinus bicolor · 4 states
- Palmer's penstemon Penstemon palmeri · 3 states
- Parry's agave Agave parryi · 2 states
- Parry's penstemon Penstemon parryi · 1 states
- Pineleaf penstemon Penstemon pinifolius · 2 states
- Prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha · 29 states
- Purple sage (desert sage) Salvia dorrii · 7 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis · 11 states
- Rocky Mountain penstemon Penstemon strictus · 5 states
- Rocky Mountain zinnia Zinnia grandiflora · 6 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Rush milkweed Asclepias subulata · 3 states
- Scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea · 12 states
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Upland larkspur Delphinium nuttallianum · 13 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
- Woolly paperflower Psilostrophe tagetina · 7 states
Deer-resistant native plants in Arizona: what to know
59 of the 127 plants native to Arizona in this directory fit this need: 46% of the state's list, well above the 28% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through December, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 52 are also drought-tolerant, 50 are also good for pollinators, 31 are also good for birds.
54 of them grow in full or partial sun and 9 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Antelope-horns milkweed and Arroyo lupine to trees such as Bearberry and California flannelbush. For wildlife, 50 support pollinators, 31 provide food or cover for birds and 14 are caterpillar host plants.
41 of the 59 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Common yarrow, Indian blanket, Indiangrass: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Dec
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Aug-Nov