Are deer a common pest in your neighborhood? Are you worried about whether deer eat hydrangeas? It’s time to put an end to worry and read this post to find answers to all your questions.
Being a gardening enthusiast, you might be aware that hydrangeas are a blanket name for more than 70 different flower species. These are widely found in Asian and American parts and grow like large shrubs and tall trees.
Hydrangeas mostly grow during the spring and autumn season and are loved for their ornamental aesthetics. These also feature beautiful and bright blooms during the summer season.
So how is the relationship between hydrangeas and deer? Unfortunately, deer like to munch on this flowering shrub. So if you have hydrangeas planted in your garden, these are most likely to become a threat to deer.
It is not that bad. If you follow some preventive measures, you can keep your blooms safe and deer at bay all season long.
Are Hydrangeas Deer Resistant?
Depending on the variety, there is a high chance of deer feasting on the blooms. All the common varieties of hydrangeas are preyed on by deer. This is why it is essential to keep the flowers protected by implementing the right deer-removal strategies.
Do Deer Like Hydrangeas?
Deer love to munch on hydrangeas. The beautiful foliage of these plants attracts them the most. If you live in an area that deer frequently visit, you might think about some preventive measures to keep your plants protected.
Deer will be attracted to hunt the beautiful leaves of this plant and will feast on them. This affects the growth of new plants which are only a couple of weeks old. However, the elder ones manage to survive through the damage.
Will Hydrangeas Grow Back if Eaten by Deer?
Luckily, the hydrangeas are resilient and will keep blooming even after being eaten by deer. One another reason behind this is that deer eat only the upper part of leaves, leaving the roots untouched.
You might not know, the hydrangea buds often act as a major backup when deer eat the foliage. You can expect blooms again if you find that the buds have minimum damage or are intact after the deer attack.
Deer damage on new blooms is great, as expected to the older ones. You can follow some preventive measures like a sturdy fence to deter deer.
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How to Prevent Hydrangeas from Deer?
Here are some tips to keep your beautiful hydrangeas safe from deer.
Homemade Mixes
You can make a non-toxic solution at home by finding all the essential things in your kitchen. This mix is completely harm-free and, when used on hydrangeas, will make them deer resistant.
To make this deer repellent mix, you simply have to add an egg yolk to 750 ml or one-liter water. You can top off the solution with one tablespoon of soda and give the concoction a good mix.
Once done, transfer the solution to the sprayer and spray it on the hydrangea bushes every one to two weeks. Follow this ritual, especially after rainy days, to make sure the spray protects your blooms.
This method is best suited for hot and humid areas. If you are wondering, humans will not get any hint of a bad smell from the blooms, only the deer will.
Use Soap
Another great way of making hydrangeas deer resistant is by using soap. Humans love a fresh scent of soap; however, deer are not very comfortable with strong fragrances.
Just take a couple of soaps and cut them into small cubes, and place them near your favorite hydrangea bush. This trick will keep deer away from your garden like magic.
Plant Deer Repellant Plants
If your garden is full of tulips, lilies, hydrangeas you have simply put up a welcome board for deer.
So does this mean you should stop planting these flowers? No, you just need to plant them along with deer repellant plants.
Most of the deer repellent plants have a strong scent that keeps them away from that place. Some good deer repellant plant options are:
- Boxwoods
- Lavenders
- Foxgloves
- Ferns
- Poppies
Invest in an Electric Fence
If you have a lot of hydrangea bushes in your prosperity, you can get electric fences to protect your garden. All you have to do is wrap the fences around bushes and let your plant bloom in all their glory without worrying about deer attack.
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Use Nets
One more effective trick to use if you are worried about deer eating hydrangeas is nets. Many gardening enthusiasts have found nets to be successful in their gardens. You can find a lot of varieties of nets online as well as offline in hardware stores.
Nets are extremely lightweight and are almost invisible. You only have to drape them around the bushes and anchor them into the ground using solid wood-made posts. The only downside of this method is that growing plants will end up clogging the net.
Get Your Radios Out
Another great way to make sure deer do not eat your hydrangeas is using the radios. This may sound weird, but it is a tried and tested method to keep deer off your garden. You may not require to change the station often. The sound of the radio will startle deer and keep them out of your property.
Do Deer Eat Hydrangea Bushes?
If you wonder whether deer eat hydrangea bushes, then the answer is a big YES. This is because a deer will gobble down everything when they are hungry as long as it is a green plant.
Yes, deer-like some plants more than others, and hydrangeas are one of them. According to garden enthusiasts, hydrangeas are mostly destroyed plants by deer. You need to keep a watch on prying deer to save your bushes.
Do Deer Eat Oakleaf Hydrangea?
Oakleaf hydrangeas can go upto a height of several feet and charm your garden beautifully. All thanks to their height, deer cannot reach up till them.
Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom in beautiful pinkish-white flowers, and despite their lack of smell, these hydrangeas are deer resistant. If you wish to get them for your garden, try getting a dwarf variant first so you can switch to a full-grown one later.
Do Deer Eat Limelight Hydrangeas?
Limelight hydrangeas are highly tolerant and low-maintenance varieties that bloom in beautiful yellow flowers.
But do deer eat Limelight hydrangeas? There is no one answer to this question as some people claim to have never seen a deer attack the Limelight hydrangeas, while others find their bloom damaged by deer attack.
To keep your plants safe, it is best to use a deer repellant when you are planting the Limelight hydrangeas. This way, you will have peace of mind, and your pants will stay safe.
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Final Words:
As deer are known to gulp down anything they see when hungry, avoiding hydrangeas is out of the question. It is best to research deer repellent methods and incorporate them into your garden.
As a precaution, pot a couple of deer-proof shrubs around your hydrangea to make them deer resistant. You can try any of the above-mentioned methods to keep your garden always blooming. You can never go wrong with an electric fence if all else fails.
