IME, neither Aruncus or Actaea are very happy in full sun, even with lots of water. I'd suggest Verbascum bombyciferum or Phlomis. Or if you want something a bit smaller but still with large leaves, Salvia argentea. All of these plants have fuzzy leaves deer tend to leave alone. Generally, anything with silver or gray foliage or with fuzz tends to be very low on their menus, if that helps at all.

I should have mentioned the humidity here. Silver foliage plants "melt" in our humidity.

I pulled out the phlomis last year because it looked bad, more than good. I have stachys big ears that melt in midsummer, but bounce back for fall. Same with all of the yarrow and echinops. By midsummer they have to be cut back. They look great right now and will be fine until after they bloom next year.

The garden is primarily full of small-leaved perennials and shrubs such as agastache, salvia, nepeta, monarda, lavender, irises, spirea, buddleia, crape myrtle, leucantha, asclepias. Echinacea have the biggest leaves! :-)

I have deer issues too. One plant which qualifies is Inula Goliath.

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The leaves can get up to 3 feet long and 1 foot wide. They are a little 'fuzzy' underneath giving them a good solid texture. They have staying power for the season. The plant can grow to 7+ feet and have nice yellow blooms late in the season for butterflies and bees.

The new deers will test it out in the fall with nibbles as they do all plants, but this plant will not be touched again. As Gardengal states, they do not like a fuzzy texture.

My mom has Aruncus in zone 5 blazing hot sun, and it is fine. It may not be fine in your full sun, though. It is left alone by our deer.

Rhubarb, whether ornamental or regular, has a wonderful large presence. If you don't cut the bloom stalk off, it will go dormant for a few summer months. Crambe cordifolia is rhubarb-ish and blooms white in late spring.

Inula gets bigger than 4 feet, I think, but fits the order otherwise (yellow flowers though). It is supposed to want a lot of moisture, but it doesn't get it in my sandy yard and is ok (but I'm sure would like more water)

Castor Bean is an annual. There is a dwarf version of it I think. It's poisonous, but this fall I've had leaves disappearing off of it (deer or rabbits). Other years it was untouched. Blooms are usually pink, but maybe they are other colors on other varieties than mine.

Cardoon or Artichoke should be hardy in your zone. I don't know for sure if it's deer-proof. Blooms are lavender and thistle-like

Another annual idea is Tithonia diversifolia, whose leaves get pretty big. The whole plant gets to 16', but that's as a perennial. Yellow blooms, though.

Comfrey has really big leaves, and deer will only chew on it if they're self-medicating, I've been told. (I just got it myself). I don't know how it would do in your conditions, though. Plantfiles show it growing in Hillsborough, and comments from people in hot areas growing it. Flowers are something similar to Pulmonaria.

You could also plant some dwarf magnolias for the foliage.

Have you tried planting the Brug with moisture crystals in the soil? I've started doing that for water-lovers in my sandy soil.

My aruncus is in almost full sun, but not blazing like your site, and not all day sun either. But I don't think it would do well in hot dry conditions. It does fine and the deer never touch it. Have you thought about angelica giga or Baptisia x 'Carolina Moonlight'? Even though the leaves aren't huge, they pack a punch. Deer never touch my baptisias, either. It seems like you've thought of everything so far, so not sure if my suggestions will help. I do love that inula that tiffy posted. I want one now. :)

That inula is impressive! Is it grown from seed? I have never seen it in the local nurseries.

I have castor bean seeds from a friend. I suppose I could create shade with these in order to plant actea or aruncus!

I have grown cardoon at a previous house and it didn't make it through the winter to have it more than one season, but the bloom disappeared so quickly that I think deer may eat those.

I have baptisia (the blue), but it gets eaten to the ground within hours by a nasty caterpillar in late summer leaving a truly ugly mess. In fact, my husband wants me to get rid of those (have several) because of this rapid destruction.

There is an ornamental rhubarb on Heronswood's website called Rheum 'Ace of Hearts' that is stunning!

What about Rodgersia 'Nori Pope'? Anyone growing that one? I can't find any deer info on it.

Thanks,
Cameron

Tiffy, you're determined to get that Inula Giant spread around the lower forty eight aren't you? LOL

Wasn't pvick growing one of those giants on her balcony?

What is that gold foliage plant in front of the lighthouse?

Really adds a brightness in that spot.

The deer dont touch my ROS, I have one that is on the corner about 200 ft from the house, and another right beside it. They munch everything else.
Nice pic tiff, and the inula. I have never seen it before.They arent real big leaves, but the deer dont bother my hydrangea..Pee Gee, and Annabelle.
Tammy

Hi Cameron! I am not in your zone, so I doubt I can really be of much help but...

Do Agave grow well for you there? I have always admired them. PDN has a large and interesting collection.

Musa basjoo? Hardy bananna. It gets tall but I think I read it can be kept short by hard pruning.

Maybe some ornamental grass with wide, strappy foliage?

Rodgersias are more of a part shade plant I think. Foliage burns easily in too much sun. Rheum need a good deal of moisture. They might also burn in a lot of sun.
CMK

I may just have to plant the castor beans until I grow some shade here (we've only been here 4 years).

So many large-leaved plants will scorch in sun... and when I say sun... that's from sunrise to sunset in my garden. Days and days of 80-90 degree temps in the summer. With humidity.

Maybe Verbascum chaixii 'Album'? That one has green leaves sort of like a foxglove's, and white flowers with purple stamens. Likes sun, resists deer, and tops out around 4 feet.

There are also some trees and shrubs that can be cut to the ground each year and will then stay low while producing gigantic leaves. Catalpa, Paulownia, and Ailanthus are a few example but there are more.

Cameron,

I started the Inula from seeds obtained from Gardens North a few years ago. If you want a few seeds, just send me an e-mail. I did get a new one this year from a private garden centre. The leaves are spectacular on that one as well - more ridging, leaves much wider, but not as long - and I am waiting to see how it performs next year. So far so good.

Newbie in NJ,
Yep! I just think it's a nice plant in the gardens. It gives architectural structure, foliage is resistant to disease and pests and retains it's beauty for the growing season, great for late season pollinators, etc. :O) It also won't fall in the many winds we have here due to tropical storms coming up the coast. Oh yes, PV is growing it on her balcony. LOL!

The shrub in the front is a variegated Forsythia known as Fiesta. The stems are a maroon red and it grows slowly. Mine has never flowered, but I grow it for the foliage.

Brody - I really like that verbascum. I have several short varieties, but the foliage is flat on the ground, and only the flowers spike. This one looks good and would fit with the garden.

Paulownia and Ailanthus are on the invasive list here, so I can't use those. I am not familiar with Catalpa.

Thanks

Cannas or Castor Beans would do well. Hardy gingers (Hedychium) also. There is at least one banana that is hardy, and many others that could be overwintered fairly easy. Another one you might try...Rudbeckia maxima.

I second Rudbeckia maxima. I got one from Bustani Hummingbird Plants this past spring and the flower spike on it easily reached 5 feet tall the first year.

Not sure why the cardoon didn't do well for you Cameron. I had two in my garden for several years that thrived on neglect and are not here now only because they got removed to make way first for some grasses and then copper trellises for clematis. I have more seed of the cardoon if you want to try it again. I started some this past spring and kept two for myself and they were at least 3 feet tall the first year in the ground. I started some last year for a friend and they got 6 feet tall and very wide in the second year in her garden.

Regular rhubard does not do well in the south. They tend to melt in our summer heat.

Next spring, I can move around my colocasia, cannas, brugs and ginger to try them. I have castor bean seeds.

Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' is rabbit food in my garden, but I don't know if they'll bother the maxima.

Today, I moved some crocosmia and a few shrubs as well as sowed annual seeds for spring. I have a big miscanthus to divide next spring and may be able to work that in for foliage.