Will Deer Eat Geraniums or Are Geraniums Deer Resistant?
So, you have spent your time to grow beautiful geraniums in your garden, but you have deer in your area and you are wondering, do deer eat geraniums?
Although, geraniums are not appealing to deer, they are not deer proof. Deer can eat geraniums if they are very hungry and have nothing else to eat.
Keep reading for more information on deer and geraniums and how you can keep deer away from your geraniums.
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About Geraniums
Geraniums are a popular flower in many places around the world. The fragrant flowers most of us grow in our gardens in hanging baskets and in pots for decks and patios originates in South Africa and came to the United States from France in 1786.
These flowers are not true geraniums, but are what most of us call geraniums and are the subject of this article.
One of the reasons why these flowers are so popular is because both their leaves and flowers are extremely fragrant. The flowers of this plant come in a variety of colors including white, pink, purple, orange and red.
There are several types of geraniums and all of them grow best in zones 3 to 8.
Do Deer Eat Geraniums?
If you live in an area where wild life tend to visit your property you may be asking yourself if deer will eat your geraniums. The best answer to that question is that it is possible.
Geraniums are not a deer’s favorite food and they will often ignore these flowers due to their strong scent, bitter taste and high toxicity levels (meaning they are somewhat deer resistant). However, deer will eat geranium under certain circumstances.
Deer are most likely to eat geraniums in early spring after a long winter or in the fall when other food sources have been depleted and hunger is at it’s highest.
How to Keep Deer from Eating Your Geraniums
You can grow geraniums and enjoy having a deer or two graze on your property without any damage to your colorful flowers.
And if you are wondering, how do I keep deer from eating my geraniums, here are some various things you can do to protect your geraniums from becoming dinner to those deer.
Don’t Plant Geraniums in Areas Where Deer Tend to Eat
Deer tend to return to the same area over and over again. The reason for this is because these areas have food sources the deer like graze upon. Deer are herbivores, meaning they eat plants, nuts and berries.
However, just like us humans, there are certain foods that deer like more than others. You can keep deer from eating your geraniums simply by planting them away from the food sources that these lovely creatures prefer.
Put Up Fencing Around Your Garden
The best way to keep deer out of your garden and away from your geraniums is to put up fencing that is high enough that deer can’t jump over.
While this is probably the best way to keep deer away from your plants, many people reject it because it also takes away from the attractiveness of their yard.
Leave Your Scent with Your Geraniums
Deer tend to fear the scent of humans and for some very good reasons. So, one way of keeping deer away from your geraniums is to leave your scent near your plants. This may not be as easy as it seems since over time rain can rinse away your scent.
However, if you can keep something with your scent on it scattered around your geraniums then it just may keep the deer from chomping on your plants.
Place Bright Flashy Objects Around Your Plants
Lightweight bright flashy objects that move in the breeze will easily deter deer from your geraniums. Deer are prey to many animals, including man and therefore tend to shy away from any movement that seems out of the ordinary to them.
Anything that is bright and shiny and suddenly moves will spook a deer, keeping it from approaching the object and therefore your plants.
Try Wind Chimes Which Combines Movement and Sound
Not only do wind chimes add charm and musical notes to your garden, but the combination of movement and noise is a warning to deer that danger may be near, keeping them at bay.
Keep in mind however, that if you don’t move the wind chimes around in your garden area the deer may get used to them being there and overcome their fear.
Try Lawn Ornaments and Scarecrows
If you are growing geraniums in your garden, then including a few lawn ornaments or scarecrows in your garden and moving them around every so often may be enough to spook the deer and keep them out of your garden.
Scarecrows look a lot like humans to deer whose vision isn’t as good as ours. So deer will tend to shy away from scarecrows and lawn ornaments, especially if they seem to move around.
Motion Lights are Great for Spooking Deer
Since deer are easily spooked by anything out of the ordinary, try placing a few motion lights around wherever your geraniums are. When a deer gets near the area, the lights come on, startling the deer and chasing them away.
Since these lights only come on when they sense motion, you won’t need to keep moving your lights around like you need to do with wind chimes or lawn ornaments.
Motion Activated Sprinklers are Also an Option
If you really want to startle deer away from your garden and keep your geraniums and other flowers safe, try installing a motion activated sprinkler system.
As a curious deer comes near the sprinklers, they will turn on and is sure to frighten those deer away. After getting an unexpected shower a few times deer will be likely to avoid that area of your property.
Use Deer Repellent Spray to Repel Deer
Use deer repellent spray. Deer tend to avoid strong scents for the simple reason that they need to avoid being prey in order to survive. And if they walk through an area that has strong odors the scent will cling to their coat and make them easier to be tracked by any predator on the hunt.
Do Deer Eat Geraniums? Final Thoughts
Most of us love watching graceful deer when they wander on our property, but we don’t want those deer eating our flowers we put money, time and effort into growing. So, finding ways to protect those geraniums from becoming part of a diet for visiting deer will allow you to enjoy both your flowers and the deer.
