What Herbs Repel Deer?

By: Jessie Keith

“I read that Thyme can repel deer from your veggie garden. Is it true?” Question from Sylvia of Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Answer: Thyme is a mint, and on the whole, deer dislike the strong smell of many plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae), so mints, like thyme, can repel deer. But, I cannot say whether repellent mints would keep deer away from vegetables that they really love, like sweet potato vine. I recommend experimenting with a few to see if they help.

Here is a list of seven great minty perennial garden plants–both herbal flowers and culinary herbs– known to repel deer.

1. Hyssop (Agastache spp.): These sun-lovers have pretty flowers that bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds will visit. The pretty ‘Blue Fortune‘ will survive to zone 4.
2. Mints (Mentha spp.): Hardy peppermint, spearmint, and pineapple mint are all great options, but these fast-spreading plants must be grown in large pots (never the ground!) to keep them from taking over.
3. Monarda (Monarda hybrids): These beautiful summer flowers for pollinators have a strong smell that deer cannot stand. Plant them alongside your vegetables.
4. Catmint (Nepeta hybrids): The blue flowers of these hardy, bushy perennials (Zones 3-8) add great color to gardens. Proven Winners’ ‘Cat’s Pajamas‘ is especially pretty.
5. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): For northern gardeners to successfully grow this favorite Mediterranean herb, I always recommend the hardier variety ‘Arp’ (Zones 6-10). If you live in a colder zone, bring it indoors in winter.
6. Sage (Salvia officinalis): Pots of hardy sage (Zones 4-10) should help protect your vegetable garden and help flavor your favorite winter dishes.
7. Thyme (Thymus spp.): All thymes are repellent to deer, so plant away.

I hope that they do keep deer out of your vegetable garden!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

About Jessie Keith

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Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.