Quick answer: 26 deer-resistant native plants are native to Washington, 15 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
26 species
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 states
- Bog laurel Kalmia polifolia · 13 states
- California poppy Eschscholzia californica · 6 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Common gaillardia (blanketflower) Gaillardia aristata · 11 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Douglas iris Iris douglasiana · 3 states
- Greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula · 9 states
- Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis · 12 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Littleflower penstemon Penstemon procerus · 11 states
- Miniature lupine Lupinus bicolor · 4 states
- Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana · 9 states
- Narrowleaf milkweed Asclepias fascicularis · 6 states
- Nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia · 9 states
- Northern maidenhair fern Adiantum pedatum · 37 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
- Royal penstemon Penstemon speciosus · 6 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Upland larkspur Delphinium nuttallianum · 13 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
Deer-resistant native plants in Washington: what to know
26 of the 78 plants native to Washington in this directory fit this need: 33% of the state's list, above the 28% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through October, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 20 are also good for pollinators, 17 are also drought-tolerant, 10 are also good for birds.
24 of them grow in full or partial sun and 4 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Bog laurel and Douglas iris to trees such as Bearberry and Common juniper. For wildlife, 20 support pollinators, 10 provide food or cover for birds and 3 are caterpillar host plants.
15 of the 26 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Mar-Jun
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-Jun
- Prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha · Sun · blooms Apr-Jun