Do Deer Eat Geraniums?
Answer at a Glance: Deer do not eat geraniums. Planting geraniums is a good choice if you have a deer problem and are looking for deer-resistant plants for your landscape. Many experts agree that no plant is one hundred percent resistant to a starving deer, but geraniums do make the list of plants that deer find less appealing than others.
Dig Deeper
Deer Resistant Annuals
According to Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Warren County, the following annuals/biennials are deer resistant:
- Ageratum
- Blanket flower
- Blue salvia
- Cleome
- Dahlia
- Datura
- Dusty Miller
- Edging Lobelia
- Forget-me-not
- Four o’clock
- Heliotrope
- Marigold
- Morning glory
- Nicotiana
- Parsley
- Polka-dot plant
- Poppy
- Snapdragon
- Sweet alyssum
- Sweet basil
- Verbena
- Wax begonia
- Zonal geranium
Deer Resistant Perennials
Rutger’s University New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station suggests these deer-resistant perennials:
- Anise Hyssop
- Autumn Crocus
- Basket of Gold
- Bigleaf Goldenray
- Bleeding Heart
- Bluebell
- Butter & Eggs
- Buttercup
- Cactus
- Catmint
- Common Tansy
- Corydalis
- Crown Imperial, Fritilia
- Daffodil
- Dame’s Rocket
- European Ginger
- False Indigo
- Forget-Me-Not
- Fringed Bleeding Heart
- Garden Sage
- Germander
- Greek Jerusalem Sage
- Horehound
- Horseradish
- Hyssop
- Iris
- Jack-in-the-pulpit
- Lamb’s Ear
- Lavender
- Lavender-Cotton
- Lemon Balm
- Lenten or Christmas Rose
- Lungwort
- Marjoram
- May Apple
- Meadow Rue
- Mint
- Monkshood
- Oregano
- Ornamental Onion
- Peony
- Potentilla, Cinquefoil
- Purple Rock-Cress
- Rock-Cress
- Rocket Ligularia
- Rodgers Flower
- Rose Campion
- Rue
- Russian Sage
- Siberian Bugloss
- Siberian Squill
- Silver Mound
- Small Globe Thistle
- Snowdrops
- Spurge
- Statice
- Tarragon
- Threadleaf Coreopsis
- Thyme
- Wild Ginger
- Winter Aconite
- Yucca
Plants Deer Love
Unless your planting goal is to feed deer visiting your yard, it’s best to avoid deer favorites. The North Carolina University Cooperative Extension, Pender County, lists the following as plants that deer love:
- Arborvitae
- Aucuba
- Azaleas
- Black Eyed Susans
- Clematis
- Daylilies
- Fatsia
- Hosta
- Impatiens
- Indian Hawthorn
- Ivy
- Japanese Euonymous
- Pansies
- Pittosporums
- Redbud
- Roses
- Sweet Potato Vine
- Virginia Sweetspire
References
- Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Warren County – “Deer Resistant Plants.”
- Rutger’s University New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station – “Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance.”
- The North Carolina University Cooperative Extension, Pender County – “Is There Anything Deer Will Not Eat?”
Related Products
Liquid Fence Deer And Rabbit Repellent
REPELS DEER AND RABBITS: Deer and rabbits don’t have to eat vegetation for the repellent to be effective—they have a natural aversion to the scent.