There Is a Wide Range of Flowers That Deer Do Not Eat
You are in luck if you love daffodils, foxgloves, and poppies. These flowers are poisonous to deer, which means they will strongly avoid them. And besides poisonous flowers, deer also tend to avoid blossoms with a strong scent. Examples o flowers that deer do not eat are lavender, peonies, and bearded irises. So, although deer sidestep flowers with strong odors, they will likely still eat them if they are hungry and desperate. Deer, like most mammals, don’t like eating something with a rough texture. This dislike is why prickly plants are perfect for growing in your garden. An example of a prickly flowered plant is a lamb’s ear. If you have a shady garden, we suggest planting bleeding hearts and astilbe. Different types of astilbe that deer won’t eat are the bridal veil, visions, and fanal. If you have a sunny garden, we suggest planting Zagreb. This flowering plant is known to attract bees and not deer, which is very useful for your garden. Other sun-favoring flowering plants which are deer-resistant are blazing stars, Echinacea purpurea, wood sage, and the shasta daisy.
Which Other Plants Do Deer Not Eat?
Besides the flowering plants we mentioned, other plants repel the deer, from shrubs to grasses. In addition, deer tend to avoid plants that have thick and dense leaves. Examples of these are yucca and thorn-filled plants. And even though rose bushes have thorns, deer see these as a tasty snack. Deer do not eat ornamental grasses, a bonus as this has become a new trend in garden landscaping. If you want to use ornamental grass, we suggest using the Japanese Blood Grass as it is deer-resistant. Deer also don’t like eating shrubs like lilacs, butterfly bushes, boxwood, forsythia, and Rose of Sharon. But go ahead and plant them because these shrubs add beautiful bursts of color to your garden. Luckily, they will continue to do so even if you have unwanted deer visitors. Besides this, here are a few more plants that deer are sure to steer clear of unless they are desperate:
YarrowMonkshoodAgeratumOnionAllegheny ServiceberryCommon TansySnapdragonHorseradishCatmintMintTarragonSilver MoundCinquefoilJack-in-the-pulpitWild GingerAsparagusPineAsterBarberryBorageButtercupPot Marigold
What Do Deer Eat?
Deer are foragers and herbivores. These animals spend most of their time looking for food, which is why they have a vast diet. Additionally, they consume large amounts of food as they must ingest 6% to 8% of their body weight daily from spring till fall. This consumption rate ensures they stay healthy and prepare themselves physically well for the winter months. If deer can eat nutrient-rich plants and flowers with more protein, energy, and minerals, they will prefer these kinds of food. Conversely, they will likely eat deer-resistant flowers and plants if they cannot find their favorite nutrient-rich foods. The diet of deer can be classified into five groups, ranking in dominance. These categories are browse, forbs, mast, crops, and lichen.
