If you’re an avid gardener, you may have hellebores (also known as Lenten roses, Christmas roses, or winter roses) in your outdoor plant collection. Hellebores are beautiful flowers and vines that add a touch of elegance to any garden. But do deer eat hellebores?
Deer almost never eat hellebores. Hellebores are deer-resistant because their leaves, stems, and roots are poisonous. But a hungry deer could eat almost anything, which may include Lenten roses.
Considering that a single deer can eat up to ten pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating hellebores can really do some serious damage to your garden!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your hellebores, and keep them healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Hellebores?
As we covered, deer usually stay away from hellebores because the entire plant is poisonous.
Deer are most likely to eat hellebores during spring because they’re hungry after a long winter, or if it’s late in fall and other food sources have been depleted.
Your hellebores are less susceptible to deer damage later in summer when many other food sources they prefer are available.
Deer can do some serious damage to a large amount of hellebores in a single sitting if they’re hungry enough!
This was confirmed in a 1999 study on deer plant eating habits by Cornell University.
And don’t think that your newer hellebores are safer either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Are Hellebores Deer Resistant?
Hellebores are regarded as deer resistant thanks to their taste and scent, both of which deer do not like.
They were rated as “rarely damaged” in a study on deer resistant plants by Rutgers University.
The poisonous content of Lenten roses and hellebores helps keep deer away.
As we mentioned earlier, just because hellebores are deer resistant doesn’t mean they are completely safe from being eaten by deer.
You should always take additional steps to deter deer from your hellebores and other plants and flowers.
Read on to learn more.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Hellebores?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting hellebores from hungry deer: their habits, your scent, repellent options, and when you plant them.
Deer will eat nearly anything if they’re hungry enough, so your main goal is making your garden as least inviting to deer as possible.
Check out our guide on how to keep deer from eating plants where we cover 25 quick and easy tips for keeping hungry deer out of your garden.
Will My Hellebores Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, hellebores can bounce back from browsing by deer if given some care, attention, and time.
Hellebores flowers are considered perennials, meaning they’ll grow back year after year.
Fortunately, hellebores can withstand some browsing from hungry deer.
So unless a deer eats your hellebores down to the soil, you should be able to nurse them back to health with regular watering and fertilization.
Do Deer Eat Hellebores? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat hellebores?
Not usually, but they will if they’re hungry enough.
Deer will usually stay away from hellebores, but may eat them during spring when they’re hungry after a long winter or in late fall when other food sources have been depleted.
Have any observations to add to the discussion? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
Check our our other helpful wildlife guides while you’re here:
- Do deer eat calla lilies?
- Do deer eat camellias?
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- Do deer eat bearded iris?
- Do deer eat Virginia bluebells?
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- Do deer eat marigolds?
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- Do deer eat dahlias?
- Do deer eat zinnias?
- Do deer eat peonies?
- Do deer eat vinca?
- Do deer eat begonias?
- Do deer eat celosia?
- Do deer eat nasturtiums?
- Do deer eat wisteria?
- Are loropetalum deer resistant?
- Are sunpatiens deer resistant?
