Are you thinking of planting some lavenders in your garden? However, are you wondering whether or not your lavender plants will be feasted by animals?
Additionally, are you also wondering whether or not deers will start feasting upon lavenders upon blooming, and are you also thinking whether or not they will like or detest the taste of lavenders?
Do deer eat lavender?
Deers have a natural detest for plants that offer a very strong type of fragrance and such is the case for the lavender. Accordingly, deers do not like to eat lavender flowers due to the pungent smell of the lavender flowers. This fragrance that is pleasing for humans is stinky to deers.
If you are planning to plant lavender flowers in your garden then you should be aware of the type of lavenders deers like to feast on and the types they like to steer clear.
Therefore, being aware of such distinctions can help you to avoid any unnecessary accidents and confusion.
Mona lavender:
As mona lavender plants give a very pungent odor, deers will not touch the leaves, foliage, and flowers of these types of plants.
In addition, mona lavender plants’ strong smell also confuses deers’ sense of smell and this is why they refrain from eating such plants like this which deers perceive as poisonous.
English lavender:
Although English lavender plant or lavender, in general, is very much edible for deers. But they will still deem this type of lavender as poisonous and will not eat English lavender flowers due to their natural instinct.
French lavender:
French lavenders are actually termed as great deer-resistant plants therefore it is clear that deers do not like the taste and smell of the French lavender flowers.
Spanish lavender:
Spanish lavenders are such a type of lavender that will not be favored by the deers as they will be very much repelled by the strong fragrance of it.
In addition, Spanish lavenders also seem to have a very pungent-like rosemary fragrance to them which is why deers like to steer clear of them.
Do deer eat lavender leaves? Do deer eat lavender bushes?
Deers do not only detest lavender flowers but they also loathe the taste of the lavender leaves and lavender bushes as well.
This aromatic plant, lavender is often planted in gardens for the pleasant aroma it offers. Lavender is used for making oil and making perfumes. However, humans, are attracted by its aroma but not all animals will adhere to it and this includes deers.
Fortunately or unfortunately, lavender cannot be defined as “deer candy” as deers seem to loathe these types of flowers.
Deers often find the smell of lavender very pungent. In addition, deers will stay away from not only the blooms of this plant but also from the whole plant as they find the whole plant very much repelling to them.
Consequently, this allows lavender to be a very effective deer repellent plant. Therefore, you can use lavender in your garden to send deers away.
Do whitetail deer eat lavender plants?
Whitetail deers are a lot like regular deers therefore, whitetail deers also do not like to eat lavender plants.
Even though lavender plants are very much edible for these whitetail deers and lavender plants are also not poisonous for these deers, whitetail deers will still not feast on lavender plants.
This is perhaps because deers highly associate lavender plants with plants like marigold and rosemary which also have a very pungent smell and are also very poisonous for the deers.
Therefore, whitetail deers or deers, in general, will try their best to stay away from these strong fragrant ridden lavender plants which in actuality have a heavenly fragrance to them.
In addition, this is why lavender plants are also known as deer-resistant plants which benefit many gardeners and home owners to secure their garden from the deers.
Moreover, another probable reason why whitetail deer may not find lavender plants appealing or appetizing is due to the strong smell of the lavender which is in actuality very “stinky” for these whitetail deers.
Accordingly, they will not even eat lavender plants at any cost unless and until they find no other alternatives or no other possible food sources for them.
Do deer like the smell of lavender? Is lavender a deer repellent?
Although there is a myriad of different types of plants that are consumed by the deers, deers are however not really that much drawn to the smell of the lavender flowers.
In addition, lavender is a plant that has a very strong fragrance to it which is like a very herbal, floral, and wood type smell which is also a very pleasant and flourishing smell for a lot of people.
But when it comes to the deers, it is the same smell that repels the deers to eat lavender plants which is why deers do not find these flowers with strong fragrances very unpalatable and edible.
Similar flower plants like the perennial flower, marigold, rosemary, and so on are also some of the flowers that are deemed as unpalatable as they also give a very strong smell just like that of lavender flowers.
Therefore, lavender works a lot like a deer repellent flower plant and another reason behind this is also related to the idea that deers really like plants that have a very subtle scent to them meaning they like the leafy and evergreen types of plants.
In addition, they like to avoid those types of flowers that have a very pungent smell, and therefore, deers like to steer clear of the lavender flowers.
Additionally, it is also the lavender bloom that seems to repel deers and sweet smelling attributes of the lavender plant is another reason why deer detests the smell of lavender flowers.
Why deer don’t eat lavender?
It is not a surprise that deers do not really like to eat lavender flowers and several factors are contributing to this phenomenon.
Therefore, being knowledgeable about the possible reasons may help you to mold your decisions accordingly.
Pungent Smell:
One of the most common reasons why lavender flowers will not be favored by the deers is due to the fact that lavender flowers tend to have a very strong smell or pungent odor to them.
Accordingly, the taste of lavender flowers will also repel the deers. Although the lavender plant is known for its attention-grabbing qualities, it still seems to repel the deers.
Consequently, the smell which is pleasant for humans is actually very “stinky” for the deers.
In addition, the strong smell that derives from the lavender flowers also seems to confuse the sense of smell of the deers which is also why they like to steer clear of lavender flowers.
Poisonous:
The intrinsic fragrance of the lavender is actually deemed as poisonous by the deers and that is the reason they will not eat this plant’s leaves, bushes, foliage, flowers, and so on.
Although lavender is not really poisonous for the deers rather due to the strong scent, deers associate them with other poisonous flowers like foxgloves, daffodils, poppies, and so on.
Natural Instinct:
Deers do not naturally like the taste of such flowers which give a very sweet woody fragrance and that is why they instinctively stay away from these strong fragrance-ridden flowers.
What flowers do deer eat?
There are a lot of flowers which in spite of being very much edible and nutritious for the deers, they like to steer clear of them mainly due to the strong pungent smell of the flowers.
However, there are still some flowers that deers like to eat due to their natural earthy flavor and due to those flowers’ evergreen nature and being knowledgeable about these will help you to mold your decisions accordingly.
- Roses
- Sunflowers
- Marigolds
- Petunias
- Azalea
- Chrysanthemum
- Begonia
- Rhododendrons
- Pansies
- Tulips
- Daylilies
- Morning Glory
- Impatiens
- Dahlia
- Cosmos
- Geranium
- Gerbera Daisy
- Rosemallow
- Lily
- Lilyturf
- Phlox
- Crocus
- Autumn Joy Sedum
- Rose of Sharon
Final Thoughts
Even though lavender flowers have a very pleasing smell to them, it still is not favored by the deers. In addition, deers associate the smell of the lavender plants with poisonous plants which further detest them from eating lavender, and lavender is also termed as a deer repellant plant.