Hydrangea is a flower with over 75 different species. They all differ in appearance, method of growth, and maintenance. That is why when you see a deer in your yard or garden, you are worried about your beautiful flowers.
Deers generally feed on plant products, and your beautiful hydrangeas are no exception. The color of these flowers attracts a deer, and it’s like you are making a feast for these animals.
Do you have hydrangeas, and are you worried about a deer ruining years of hard work? This guide will explain all you need to know about deer and hydrangeas, how to keep this animal away, and which flower repels deer.
Do Deer Eat Hydrangeas?
Deer will eat hydrangeas. Deers are herbivores and will feed on plants and products of plants, they mainly feed on grasses, vegetables, and some other plants, but they will eat hydrangeas based on preference or because their usual diet is not available.
Nonetheless, they can do a lot of harm to your hydrangeas. They mostly feed on these flowers during winter; during their usual search for food, they are attracted to these flowers by their blooming and radiant color.
What to Do When a Deer Eats a Hydrangea
If your hydrangea flowers have fallen victim to a deer attack, it is essential to know what to do next. First, you should inspect the flowers and note the level of damage done. If there isn’t much damage, expect the flowers to grow again.
If the damage is severe, there may not be a chance for these flowers to grow again, so your next step is to rid your garden of the damaged flowers.
After that is done, you need to deer-proof your garden if the deer ever returns to prevent future damages.
Will Hydrangea Grow Back if Eaten by Deer?
Like we stated in the previous section, a hydrangea will grow back if the damage done by a deer is not very severe. Deer usually feed on the flower’s upper part, leaving behind the foliage. Your flower has a high chance of growing back if this happens.
When a deer feeds on your hydrangea, the buds of the flower helps it bloom again despite the damage done. But if the damage is severe and the buds are destroyed in the process, your flower won’t grow back.
What Animals Will Eat Hydrangeas Flowers?
After safeguarding your hydrangeas from deer, you should also remember that other animals love these flowers and feed on them.
This means your safeguarding method should be extended to keep other animals away as well. Some of these animals will feed on your hydrangeas.
1. Birds
Flinch, and sparrows are the usual birds that feed on hydrangeas. The former feeds mostly on the blossoms, while the latter feeds on the buds.
There is also some occasional stealing of twigs to build their nest, but you should not worry because a bird won’t cause severe damage as a deer would.
2. Insects
Although insects are small, they can cause great damage to your hydrangeas. They attack the leaves and flowers of your hydrangeas, often leaving small holes at the edge; a swarm of these insects is enough to kill your hydrangea bush. You should watch out for the following insect.
- Grasshopper
- Spider mites
- Aphids
- Japanese chafers
- Rose chafers
Handpick these insects; if you see them on your hydrangeas, you should use insecticide on these flowers.
3. Chipmunks and Squirrels
Chipmunks prefer the foliage of the bush to the flowers, so they feed on them. Massive damage can be done if the chipmunk figs into the root.
As for squirrels, they find the flowers more desirable than the leafage of the hydrangea, so they mainly feed on the flowers.
Squirrels can also cause damage by wrapping the branches of your hydrangea due to their weight on it.
4. Bees and Caterpillars
Bees leave a small hole that resembles a semi-circle, but a leaf-cutter bee can cause so much damage that your hydrangea looks like an animal has attacked it.
Butterflies are pollinators and will feed on the nectar of your flowers. Eventually, they move on to another flower, causing no damage.
But they lay their eggs in your hydrangeas; these eggs mature into hungry caterpillars that feed endlessly on any part of your bush. You should also handpick caterpillars and not use insecticide on this plant.
5. Slugs and Snails
A lot of snails will cause damage to your flowers as they love hydrangeas and will feed on new shoots or any other growth from the plant.
The only evidence of a slug/snail feeding is their silvery trail, and since they cause most of their damage in the nighttime, you may not see them when it’s daytime.
How to Stop Deer from Eating Hydrangeas
If your hydrangeas have been a victim to a deer stack, surely it wouldn’t want a repeat of such a disastrous event. That is why we have compiled a list of ways to drop deer from feasting on your hydrangeas.
1. Homemade Mixes
There are simple recipes that can be made at home to repel a deer. These mixes don’t hurt a deer; rather, it keeps it away as deer hates the smell; this mix will also not harm your plants in any way. For this mixture, you will need the following
- One egg yolk
- 750ml of water
- A spray bottle.
- A teaspoon of baking powder or baking soda
Mix all of these ingredients inside a spray bottle and shake well. When you are done, spray the mix on plants around your hydrangeas.
Do this two times a week, and this mixt should be used two times a month. This solution will be more effective in hot and humid areas.
2. Use soap
You know, it doesn’t take a lot to keep a deer away. For this method, all you need is a bar of soap. Cut this soap into multiple pieces and place them in different areas near your hydrangeas.
This is by far the easiest way to keep deer away from your flowers; you can even consider making some deer repellent recipes with dish soap.
Grow Deer Repellent Plants near your Hydrangeas
Der loathes the smell of some plants, hence making them a good fit for a deer repellent. Once a deer picks up the smell of these plants, it is immediately repulsed, and it flees. Some of these plants include
- Lungworts
- Bluebells
- Lavenders
- Foxgloves
- Sea holly
- Boxwood
- Poppies
- Ferns
- Cloves
- Sunflowers
- Asters
Install an electric fence
If you have a lot of hydrangea bushes, you should invest in an electric fence. Once a deer touches the electric fence, it will get the message to stay out. The only problem is that this method will require some spending.
Nets
The use of nets dates back to the early days. Many garden fanatics use lightweight nets that are almost invisible to guard their hydrangeas.
All you need to do is secure this net with a wooden post or bricks, and then a deer will not be able to eat your flowers. These nets are readily available in any store close to you and even online.
Although a downside is that when it’s time for your plants to grow, they surpass the net, making it difficult to cut out the net without harming the plant.
Which Hydrangea is Deer Resistant?
There are some hydrangeas that most deer find distasteful and are strongly repelled by them. However, this doesn’t mean that some wild deer won’t feed on these hydrangeas. The oakleaf hydrangea has a white purplish-pink color, and it blooms up to 6 to 8 inches.
He oakleaf hydrangea are known to bloom in the summertime, particularly May to July, and it has been reported that this hydrangea species isn’t a deer’s favorite.
Gardeners have claimed that deer seem to find this species of hydrangea unpleasant. They also hate the pee-gee species, which often has a white or pink color.
This species of hydrangea grow throughout the summer and are highly resistant to pollution and urban conditions, as well as deers.
What Flowers will Repel deer?
You can grow some deer repellent flowers near your hydrangeas; not only will they keep them safe, but these other flowers also make your garden beautiful. We have mentioned some of these flowers earlier, but here is an extended list.
Yarrow, iris, bleeding heart, coreopsis, Daffodil, butterfly bush, peony, combine, hellebore, coneflower, astilbe, dusty miller, Russian sage, black-eyed Susan, marigold, zinnia, purple coneflower, snapdragon. These are the deer-resistant flowers.
Conclusion
You get really sad when you wake up one morning to find your hydrangeas destroyed by deer. Luckily, if the damage is not severe, your hydrangeas can drill grow back. Other animals feed on these flowers, so you should also watch out for them.
We have also seen ways to prevent deer from feeding on your hydrangeas. You can install an electric fence, use nets, soap, homemade mixtures, or grow deer-repellent plants.
We have also listed other deer repellent flowers if you want to keep this animal away and beautify your yard at the same time.
You May Also Like:
- Can I Shoot a Possum in My Backyard
- Can You Eat Squirrel From Your Backyard
- Do Skunks Climb Trees or Fences?
- Can Possums Climb a Wall or Fence?
- Does Dawn Dish Soap Keep Deer Away
We trust this article helped you know if Deer Eat Hydrangeas. You may also want to check out What to Do with Deer Poop in the Yard?
Thanks for taking the time to read our article, and we hope you find it helpful. Would you mind leaving a comment below if you have any suggestions?
Kindly reach out to people by sharing this post on social media.
If you liked this article, then please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
