Deer in suburban and rural landscapes often create conflict for gardeners, viewing cultivated yards as a readily available food source. While their diet is adaptable, deer preferences for flowering plants follow patterns based on palatability, texture, and nutritional value. Understanding these tendencies, and the environmental conditions that override them, is the first step in protecting a garden from browsing damage.
The Flowers Deer Prefer to Eat
Deer are attracted to plants offering soft textures, high water content, and tender foliage, making many popular garden flowers a prime target. Perennial staples like hostas are frequently consumed because their large, succulent leaves are easily digestible and provide moisture. Daylilies are another favorite, often eaten as soon as new shoots emerge in the spring. Bulb plants are vulnerable in the early season when deer seek nourishment. Tulips, lilies (foliage and buds), and roses are highly palatable due to their soft structure and nutrient density.
Flowers Deer Generally Avoid
Gardeners can minimize damage by selecting flowers with natural defenses that make them unappealing to deer. Many plants are avoided due to strong, aromatic essential oils, such as bee balm, lavender, ornamental onions (Alliums), catmint, and yarrow. Texture is another significant factor, as deer often bypass plants with fuzzy, prickly, or coarse leaves. The sandpaper-like texture of heartleaf brunnera and the woolly feel of lamb’s ear discourage feeding. Furthermore, many resistant flowers contain toxic compounds or bitter tastes, such as daffodils (containing the poisonous alkaloid lycorine), foxglove, and oriental poppies.
Environmental Factors Affecting Deer Feeding
Although flowers are categorized as deer-resistant, no plant is truly deer-proof, as a deer’s diet is dictated by immediate necessity. Scarcity of natural forage in late winter or early spring compels deer to consume almost any available vegetation. During these times, plants normally avoided due to strong taste or mild toxicity may be eaten, as nutritional needs outweigh palatability. Severe drought also shifts feeding patterns, causing deer to seek plants with high moisture content for hydration. High population density increases competition for food, raising browsing pressure on less-preferred plants and making resistant gardens susceptible to damage.
How to Identify Deer Damage in the Garden
Deer damage leaves a distinct signature that differentiates it from other common pests. Because deer lack upper incisor teeth, they cannot make a clean cut when feeding. Instead, they clamp down with their lower teeth and tear the vegetation, resulting in ragged, shredded, or broken stems with uneven edges. The height of the damage is a key indicator, as deer typically browse on plants between one and six feet off the ground, targeting new growth. Damage close to the soil line, characterized by a clean, angled cut, is more indicative of rabbits or small rodents. Supporting evidence, such as cloven hoof prints or scattered piles of dark, pellet-shaped droppings, confirms deer as the source of damage.