Flowers bring beauty to gardens but also serve as a food source for various animals. Their consumption by wildlife is common, driven by nutritional value and accessibility.
Mammals That Munch on Blooms
Many mammals visit gardens to consume flowers, often leaving distinct signs of their presence. Deer are known for their preference for flowers, causing ragged bites typically a foot or more above the ground. These large herbivores can devastate entire flower beds quickly. Rabbits also commonly feed on garden flowers, and their activity is often identified by clean, angled cuts on stems, usually a few inches above the soil. They are particularly fond of tender young plants and certain varieties like tulips, lilies, marigolds, and petunias.
Squirrels, while often associated with nuts and seeds, will also nibble on flowers, especially when other food sources are scarce. They can cause damage to flower bulbs and shoots, sometimes uprooting plants. Smaller rodents like voles are known for eating flower bulbs and roots underground, creating exit holes and runways in the soil. Groundhogs, or woodchucks, also consume flowers as part of their varied diet, often leaving mounds of dirt near their burrows as a sign of their presence.
Insects and Invertebrates: Tiny Flower Eaters
Insects and other invertebrates significantly consume flowers, with many species causing considerable damage. Caterpillars, the larval stage of moths and butterflies, are notorious for chewing irregular holes in flower petals and even consuming entire blossoms. They can also scrape leaf tissue, leaving darkened areas. Slugs and snails are soft-bodied mollusks that create large, ragged holes in flower leaves, stems, and petals, often leaving a tell-tale silvery slime trail. They are most active in moist conditions and during the night.
Various beetles, such as Japanese beetles and rose chafers, are recognized for their voracious appetites. Japanese beetles, with their metallic green and copper bodies, can chew large holes in flowers and leaves, sometimes defoliating plants entirely. Earwigs, identified by their pincer-like appendages, are omnivores that feed on flower petals and young leaves, especially at night. Aphids, tiny sap-sucking insects, cluster on flower buds and stems, causing poor growth, stunted plants, and distorted leaves.
Feathered Friends and Other Unexpected Consumers
Beyond common garden pests, less obvious animals also consume flowers. Certain birds will eat flower parts. Finches, for instance, are known to consume flower buds and petals. Hummingbirds primarily feed on nectar.
In specific regions, reptiles like iguanas may include flowers as an important seasonal food source, complementing their diet of leaves and fruits. Domesticated animals, such as horses and goats, will also consume flowers. Horses have been observed snacking on flowers like dandelions. Goats, known for their broad diet, will readily munch on almost any flower. Tortoises are another group of animals that enjoy flowers as part of their diet, particularly brightly colored blooms.
Why Flowers Become Food
Animals consume flowers for biological reasons, primarily their nutritional content and availability. Flowers are a source of various nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugars, vitamins, and minerals. For example, flower petals can contain vitamins A, C, D, and E, as well as minerals like potassium, zinc, iron, and manganese. These components provide energy and support various bodily functions for herbivores.
The sugars found in nectar offer a readily available energy source for many animals, particularly insects and some birds. Flowers also contain bioactive compounds like antioxidants, such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds, which can offer additional health benefits. The accessibility of flowers, especially tender new blooms in a garden setting, makes them an appealing and convenient food option. In some instances, animals may consume flowers simply because other preferred food sources are scarce, making flowers a fallback option for sustenance.