Geraniums are considered a popular bedding plant for the garden. They are also seen indoors or outside hanging in the baskets. They are considered easy to maintain plants due to their characteristics. In today’s article, we will be discussing geraniums as food for deer.
Do deer eat geraniums?
Generally, most deer prefer grass shrubs and different types of flower plants they come across. Although deer do not prefer eating geraniums, sometimes they will eat the flowers under some circumstances. The texture and smell are supposed to deter the deer, but it will not always happen.
The deer generally eat a variety of foods that includes leafy parts of woody plants, fruits, vegetables, and sometimes flowers as well. Geraniums are a type of flower that is considered a plant but not preferred by the deer as their meal.
The texture and fragrance of geraniums are supposed to prevent the deer from eating the plant and flowers of it, but if the deer does not find any source of food around, it might eat the flowers to live.
There are different types of geraniums available. Below is a discussion on which type of geraniums deer eat or avoid:
Hardy geraniums:
A deer that is hungry and does not have any food source in its reach will not hesitate to eat anything around it. Hardy geranium is a blue, purple flower that can become a deer food if it’s hungry.
Perennial geraniums:
The perennial geraniums are considered highly pest resistant and known to prevent deer, rabbits, and other pests from invading the plant and eating the flowers of it.
Any deer within its reach and desperately in search of food might choose it to become the deer’s meal.
Wild geraniums:
The wild geraniums are known to be quite tolerant against deer. But sometimes the white-tailed deer are known to eat the flowers of wild geraniums. Names can be a good option for the deer as a medicine.
Scented geraniums:
One of the most common things that deer avoid at any cost is a scented plant. A deer is supposed to avoid strong-smelling plants that include scented geraniums.
So, you can be pretty sure that the deer will not cause any harm to the scented geraniums.
Are all geraniums deer resistant?
Not all geraniums are considered deer resistant. The deer are not supposed to eat the geraniums. But in case the deer is hungry and searching for food, and there is no such food of deer type in its reach, it will eat the geraniums in your garden.
Giving the different specialties of each type of geranium deter the deer differently. The scented geraniums have a strong smell that prevents the deer from causing any damage to the plant.
On the other hand, the perennial and Hardy geraniums can be painful for the deer. Sometimes the pain that prevents the deer from causing any damage to the geranium plants is the texture, color of the flowers, and the smell.
Different types of geraniums can create a different type of deterrence to the deer.
3 reasons why deer will not eat geraniums
There are so many reasons why a deer will not eat the geraniums of your garden. Geraniums are not included in a deer’s food list. In addition to that, a deer generally is grass, woody plants, fruits, and vegetables.
They do not like to eat the flowers because they spread a smell that the deer cannot resist. In some cases, if the deer is hungry and searching for food, it can eat your geraniums in the garden. Some reasons why it dear cannot eat the geraniums are described below:
It’s not a deer’s type of plant:
The first thing that prevents a deer from eating the geraniums is the plant type. Usually a deer. It’s a different type of fruit, vegetables, grass, but it does not like to prefer any type of flowers in its meal. This is the first reason a deer will avoid eating geraniums.
Dear doesn’t like the smell:
For their high smell, geraniums are considered one of the best pest repellents. Just like that, a deer cannot eat geraniums due to its smell that prevents the deer from eating the flower and the plant.
The color and the texture:
The color and the texture of geraniums prevent the deer from eating the plant. The fuzzy texture and the color of the flower prevent the deer from eating the geraniums.
The deer do not like flowers in their meals, so they will ignore the flower in the first stage.
When do deer eat geraniums?
Although the deer does not like to eat flowers or flower plants, in case of emergency, if the deer does not find any type of food within its reach, it will not hesitate to eat the geranium plants of your garden.
The common characteristics of geraniums help to prevent the deer from eating the plant. Not only the plant but also the flower of geraniums helps the plant to live without being invaded by the deer.
The flower has a fuzzy texture and strong smell that prevents the deer from eating the plant. That is why you should be very careful and wise when choosing the right type of plant for your garden to prevent them from getting damaged by the deer.
But eventually, if the deer does not find its desired food, it will eat the geranium flowers and plants as well.
What animal eats geraniums?
Apart from the deer, there is a variety of animals that can eat the geraniums. The reason why the deer do not eat the geraniums is that they feast on grass, shrubs leave from the trees. In most cases, they rely on the flowers.
Animals such as squirrels or rabbits like to eat geraniums. The geranium plant is mostly affected by insects. Insects can cause damage in a broader aspect to your garden.
So, it is important to take care and spray insect repellent on the plants. Below is a description of a few animals that eats geraniums:
Budworms:
Budworms are a type of moth that lays eggs in the geranium buds and leaves. These are also known as caterpillars that you will see on your geraniums and they cause serious damage to the flower buds. They can even create holes in the leaves of geranium.
Bugs:
Bugs are a common type of insect that causes damage to almost any type of flower plant. It is needed to check the geranium plants properly and regularly for signs of any type of insect infestations.
Whenever you notice bugs over the geraniums immediately pull them out of the flower.
Grasshoppers:
Grasshoppers are known as one of the common insects that cause serious damage to geraniums. They can damage the geranium plants greatly as they eat a lot. To prevent grasshoppers from eating geraniums.
You need to put a spray of hot pepper and garlic spray in the plants.
How to keep deer from eating geraniums?
If the deer keeps eating the geranium plants, it can be part of their daily meals. As mentioned earlier, deer like to eat grass, shrubs, and vegetables.
But if they cannot manage to get the food for the meal they want, they might come to your garden and eat the geranium plants.
For this, you need to take some serious steps to prevent the deer from causing any damage to your garden as well as the geranium plants. The ways to prevent geraniums from getting damaged by the deer are mentioned below:
Create a fence:
One of the most common things a gardener does to prevent his garden from any type of animal invasion is to cover them with a fence.
You need to set up a fence that is high reaching from the ground to prevent the deer from crossing the fence and go inside your garden to eat the geraniums.
Plants that deer do not like:
If you can plant some flower trees that deer do not like, it will help to save your geranium garden. Generally, the deer cannot resist the strong smell of flowers.
So, adding some flower trees to your garden, surrounding the geranium plants will be a great option to prevent the deer from eating the plants.
Use eggs to create order in the garden:
Would be a great option to prevent the deer from coming inside your garden. One thing you can do is beat the eggs in a bowl.
Add some extra water to it and beat it again. Sprinkling this mixture or spraying them over the plants will be a great option to prevent the deer from causing any damage to the plants.
Final thoughts
Although the deer does not like flower-based plants, if the deer is unable to find food for itself, it can choose flower plants such as geraniums as its food. Planting wild geraniums that spread a strong smell around the area will prevent the deer from causing damage to the garden.