The plants that deer like best … and what to plant instead | George Weigel (2024)

FAQs

The plants that deer like best … and what to plant instead | George Weigel? ›

Nevertheless, most deer seem to have a particular fondness for tulips, hosta, daylilies, yews, burning bushes, azaleas, rhododendrons, arborvitae, most roses and most fruits and vegetables. They generally don't like strong-tasting, strong-smelling, toxic and/or fuzzy-leafed plants.

Soybeans usually take the top in a lot of conversations. Alfalfa and perennial clover are also mentioned in this conversation frequently because of their ability to provide forage almost year round, minus the dog days of winter. Some land managers will want to mention corn as one of the top plants for deer.

Certain plants, such as rhubarb, are toxic to deer. Deer usually also avoid root vegetables (which require digging) and prickly vegetables such as cucumbers and squashes with hairy leaves. Cultivars with strong odors such as onions, garlic and fennel are not palatable to deer.

Weigela is not a favorite with deer, and it usually is only eaten as a desperate last resort. Typically, when this plant has foliage, other more favorable food sources are available, so animals in search of a meal tend to leave Weigela alone.

However, clover, brassicas, soybeans, and cereal grains are generally considered to be the best food plots for attracting and sustaining deer populations. With the food plot systems offered by Illusion Systems, hunters can have the convenience and expert guidance needed to create successful food plots.

You could accidentally plant something that your deer find absolutely delicious! Some deer-repelling plants with strong aromas include lavender, catmint, garlic or chives. Because they are thorny, roses are sometimes a good choice as well, but some deer find roses to be a wonderful snack.

It may seem silly, but sprinkling soap is a tried and true method of deterring deer from entering and destroying your garden. Cut Irish Spring Original soap into cubes, and place the pieces into the ground around newly growing plants.

All varieties of marigolds are a turnoff for deer because of their strong, pungent scent. However, signet marigolds (pictured) have a lighter citrusy smell and flavor, making them popular for culinary use. Learn more about growing marigolds.

Think salvia, sweet alyssum, snapdragons, poppies, globe amaranth, lantana, and cleome. Choose the right plants, and you can have color despite the darn deer!

What is poisonous to deer? ›

Common non-hardy plants that are poisonous or irritating: angel's trumpet (Brugmansia and Datura), tobacco plant (Nicotania), caladium, castor bean (Ricinus), lantana, oleander (Nerium), plus many types of houseplants.

Yes, deer love petunias as a snack—they are soft and filled with moisture. While they might love them for snacking, we love petunias as classic spring and summer flowering annuals (perennials in USDA hardiness zones 9-10) that thrive in the garden and containers.

In the vegetable garden, deer tend to enjoy most of the crops you do, with the exception of rhubarb, asparagus, and garlic. Some gardeners report that deer don't favor onions or tomatoes, but other gardeners insist they do. It really depends on availability of other food.

Deer definitely have favorite foods, such as arborvitae, hostas, daylilies, and azaleas. But the truth is they'll eat almost anything in your garden if they're hungry enough—and just like humans, they'll try anything once, according to Dimitri Gatanas, owner of Urban Garden Center in New York.

HARDY GERANIUM

This showy perennial geranium, also known as cranesbill, is grown for its showy bronze foliage and prolific, bright blue-purple flowers which cover the plant in early summer. The scent and texture of the foliage make it less appealing to deer and rabbits, but bees will enjoy its blooms.

Trees and plants that produce a berry, fruit, nut or seed can be whitetail magnets. Hard mast trees such as beech, chestnuts, hickory, honey locusts and oaks, provide great food for deer. Soft mast trees such as apples, crabapples, pear, persimmon and plums also provide great nutrition.

The top 20 deer foods are: acorns, alfalfa, apples, beechnuts, brassicas, cereal grains, clover, corn, cowpeas, fall leaves, fir needles, forbs, milo, northern white cedar, persimmons, pears, saplings and shrubs, soybeans, and treetops (felled or fallen).

Deer are herbivores and rely on vegetation for their diet. Planting food plots with crops such as clover, soybeans, and corn can be highly effective in attracting deer. Additionally, you may consider placing an automatic deer feeder on your property which is bound to attract plenty of deer.

Corn is the obvious example. But lablab and some thick growing forage soybeans can also offer enough cover that deer will not only feed in the fields or plots but also bed in them during summer and early fall.