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Do Deer Eat Pansies, Dahlias, Coleus, & Black Eyed Susans?

If you’re a proud gardener or you’ve lately developed gardening as a hobby, and you’re getting frustrated with deer eating your plants, you must have a keen knowledge of deer repellant plants like coleus and others to save your garden primarily.

Do deer eat pansies?

Deer and other small animals love eating pansies especially when it blooms during the fall. The attractive flowers, color, and scent of these protein-rich pansies draw the attention of deer and other pests. However, you can use deer repellent to protect your pansies from not being damaged or eaten.

Deer love to eat these winter plants. Not only deer, but you’ll also find other small animals and pests roaming around your garden and house to taste this beautiful-looking plant.

Pansies are notoriously attractive plants with colorful blooms which are responsible for bringing potential herbivores. Since these are winter plants, deer will come looking for these in the late fall.

You need to watch out for deer and other small animals in order to protect your desired pansies from prey. Moreover, these plants are also known as deer candy. So now you can guess that pansies are quite popular food for deer.

Are pansies deer-resistant flowers?

Pansies are in no way deer-resistant flowers. In fact, the attractive color and scent draw the attention of deer and other pests.

If you don’t want your plants to be eaten by deer or other animals, pansies are a no for you. On the other hand, plants like daffodil, lavender, foxglove, and peonies are deer-resistant flowers.

How to keep deer from eating pansies?

It is very heartbreaking for anyone to have their favorite pansies get eaten by deer. Not to mention all the hard work, time, and effort you’ve spent on them. So here are three tips for you to keep deer from eating pansies-

Deer repellants:

Deer repellants are very useful to keep the prey away. You can avail these repellants from any nearby chemical and organic stores.

The good quality repellants come in sprays and you’ll save yourself from the hassle of respraying even after rain. The strong smell of the repellants prominently keeps the deer away from eating your pansies.

Concentrated Deer Repellent - Bobbex | Deer, Elk, and Moose Deterrent Concentrate (32 oz.) B550100

Develop fences:

Making fences around your garden effectively saves your pansies from deer. Usually, fencing of height eight to eleven feet will work fine in this case. Developing small obstacles like boulders also play an effective role.

Pets:

If you have a dog in your house, you’re already a step ahead in protecting your pansies. Since deer don’t barge into areas where they can smell any predators.

Do deer eat dahlias?

Though deer love to eat plants, Dahlias being attractive flowers are not consumed by deer nevertheless. It’s not that deer won’t eat dahlias at all. But usually, they’re not very fond of dahlias; however, it may vary depending on the seasonal variation, natural eating habits, and food availability.

Will deer eat dahlia plants?

As mentioned before, whether deer will eat dahlia plants solely depends on their food habit, regional difference, and food availability.

However, indeed, deer don’t get allured by dahlias. If they have plants like pansies, day-lilies, hostas, and English Ivy on their regular diet, it is highly unlikely they’ll go after dahlias.

But the scarcity of food can eventually lead them in eating Dahlia plants whatsoever. Furthermore, the presence of deer-resistant plants like red or black peppers, foxglove, daffodils, lavender can also force them to eat dahlias.

Not to mention, deer are foraging animals; and they’ll eat whatever they can avail themselves at ease.

Are dahlias deer resistant?

Deer don’t prefer to have dahlia on their everyday menu but they’re not deer resistant either. If you want to make your garden deer resistant, dahlias shouldn’t be your option.

If the weather is too much to handle, and there’s a lack of food for deer, then it is most likely that they’ll feed onto your dahlias.

How do you keep deer from eating dahlias?

It can surely seem a problem if deer end up eating all your dahlias. It’s not necessarily a common scenario but there’re still chances that it might happen.

Three steps to keep deer from eating dahlias-

Plant deer-resistant plants:

Deer-resistant plants like daffodils, poppies, and foxgloves can play an effective role in keeping deer away from your dahlias.

You can plant these plants round up your garden areas. Apart from these, plants that release strong fragrances like lavender, salvias, irises can also repel deer.

Fencing:

Fencing is a very traditional and common way to keep deer or any animal from eating your plants. Initially, you can make a fence of around eight to ten feet tall. It will stop the deer from entering your garden.

Feitore Deer Fence Netting, 7 x 100 Feet Bird Netting Anti Bird Deer Protection Net Reusable Protective Garden Netting for Plants Fruit Trees Vegetables Against Birds, Deer and Other Animals

Deer resistant spray:

You can buy yourself some deer-resistant spray to keep deer from entering your garden. You have to spray it all over your dahlia plants and it will be enough to keep the deer away.

I Must Garden Deer Repellent: Mint Scent Deer Spray for Gardens & Plants – Natural Ingredients – 32oz Ready to Use

Do deer eat coleus?

Deer don’t ever eat coleus. To add to that, coleus is deer resistant foliage plant. That means coleus is planted to keep deer away from the yard. Coleus is planted for its useful leaves rather than the blooms. And it’s leaves possess a strong smell which plays an effective role to deter deer.

Will deer eat coleus?

Deer will never eat coleus plants since deer have a strong sense of smell and they tend to avoid anything that has a strong fragrance.

Coleus is planted for their leaves which have a strong smell that spread around a wide area. As a result, you can use coleus as a deer-resistant plant since deer won’t come anywhere near a coleus plant let alone eating them up.

Furthermore, you can plant coleus all over your garden or yard, as it will effectively keep deer or any other potential herbivores away from the plants.

Are coleus deer resistant?

Coleus is definitely deer resistant considering the aromatic characteristics of its leaves. As deer can’t bear a strong smell, coleus can play a good role as a deer resistant for your garden if you have pansies, day-lilies, hostas, and English Ivy type of plants.

Along with coleus, lavender, peonies, and breaded irises can also act as deer resistants.

Why won’t deer eat coleus?

Deer are foraging animals, and they tend to eat almost anything if starving. However, there are still some plants that deer don’t prefer and tend to avoid as well.

Two reasons why deer won’t eat coleus-

Tenax 1A120243 Deer Fence Select, 6 ft x 100 ft, Black

Strong odor:

Coleus gives off a strong odor which is primarily responsible for why the deer won’t eat coleus. Deer usually prefer to have plants with a mild fragrance in their regular diet.

Anything that has a strong odor is not edible for deer which is the obvious reason for deer not eating coleus.

Eating habit:

Deer are day-animals and they tend to forage throughout the whole day. Whereas, nocturnal animals like raccoons and spunks like to have coleus on their regular diet.

Moreover, the appearance, of coleus doesn’t attract deer as well; since they don’t have any blooms. And the leaves deter deer.

Do deer eat black-eyed Susans?

Deer will eat anything as long as they’re not smelly and got a fuzzy texture. Not to mention, deer are foraging animals and they’ll feed onto black eyes Susans also even though these are not on their top food list. But considering the weather conditions, food scarcity, deer eat black-eyed Susans.

Deer will eat black-eyed Susans since these plants are a very important source of food for animals like deer, slugs, and rabbits.

Black-eyed Susans don’t necessarily possess any quality like strong scent and thorny texture to keep deer away. Rather the mild scent and attractive appearance attract small animals and birds towards themselves.

The situation is no different for a deer. Deer are likely to get attracted towards the black-eyed Susans and can claim a day of a decent meal. Hence, if you’ve black eyes Susans in your garden, you better watch out for deer and other animals.

Are black-eyed Susans deer resistant?

Black-eyed Susans are not deer resistant at all. The appealing appearance, moderate smell, and texture significantly draw the attention of deer and most other animals.

And deer usually ends up eating black-eyed Susans when getting the chance. Plants like foxglove, daffodil, and lambs ear are deer resistant.

How do you keep deer from eating black-eyed Susans?

Even though black-eyed Susans are not must-have plants for deer; they don’t even step back when coming across black-eyed Susans either. Hence, if you’ve got black-eyed Susans in your yard, you have to adopt some measures to deter them.

Ways to keep deer away from black-eyed Susans-

Having a pet around:

If you have a dog in your house, deer are very less likely to step onto your garden, let alone eating your plants. Not to mention, deer have a strong sense of smell.

As a result, they can detect beforehand, if there are any predators around and they tend to avoid that path.

Deer repellants:

You can spray various deer repellants on your plants to keep deer away. In this case, plants like foxglove, lavender, poppies, lamb’s ear, daffodil, peppers, also play a major role as deer-resistant plants.

Deer Out 32oz Concentrate Deer Repellent

And they’ll significantly keep the deer away from your yard.

Are brown eyed Susans deer resistant?

Brown-eyed Susans are con completely deer-resistant; however, can somewhat act as deer-resistant. These plants have a high tolerance and a height of two feet.

The hairy texture all over its body and the scent of it is responsible for deterring deer and rabbits away. Hence, if you’ve got a garden of pansies or hostas, you can surely plant brown-eyed Susans to keep deer away.

What plants do deer dislike the most?

Here’s a list of the top ten plants that deer despise-

  • Catnip
  • Foxglove
  • Bearded Iris
  • Fringed Bleeding Hearts
  • Lavender
  • Wall Germander
  • Salvia
  • Yellow Alyssum
  • Peony
  • Lenten Rose

Final Thoughts:

As you can see, you don’t have to be devastated by deer ruining your garden yard. With deer-resistant sprays and plants such as coleus, you can plant your desired plants and enjoy their blooms all season for your plants like pansies, black-eyed Susan, and dahlias. As they tend to feast on them.