There are a lot of myths out there about what deer do and do not eat, especially when it comes to common flowers and plants. One common question is: do deer eat honeysuckle?
The answer is yes – deer love to eat honeysuckle throughout the year. Deer are attracted to honeysuckle because of it’s sweet aroma and the fact that it’s usually well-watered and fertilized.
Considering that a single deer can eat up to ten pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating honeysuckle can really do some serious damage to these plants!
Why Do Deer Eat Honeysuckle?
As we covered, deer will eat every part of honeysuckle (shoots, leaves, flowers and all) when they’ve got the chance after emerging from a long winter when they’re the hungriest.
But why do they do this?
Deer like lush plants that are well-watered and fertilized, and honeysuckles check every box.
Deer can do some serious damage to a large amount of honeysuckle plants in a single sitting if they’re hungry enough!
This was confirmed in a 1999 study on deer plant eating habits by Cornell University.
Plants like honeysuckle contain water, sugar, protein, and nutrients, which makes them an ideal food source for deer.
And don’t think that newer honeysuckle plants are safe either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like honeysuckle based on opportunity.
They’re planted in the ground and grow easily in many areas, so they’re easy for deer to access.
In fact, honeysuckle is increasing in popularity for hunters who want a deer food plot but don’t have access to farming equipment.
This is because honeysuckle is very easy to grow and attracts deer so well.
If you’re not convinced, leave some honeysuckle out or plant some, and wait to see what happens!
What Is Honeysuckle?
Honeysuckle is an arching shrub or twining vine plant that are prevalent throughout North America.
They can be either evergreen or deciduous, and they have leaves arranged oppositely along the stems.
Honeysuckles have fragrant flowers that draw deer in with their sweet scent, and they also sometimes bear fruit like a red, black, or orange berry that a deer also eats.
What Kinds Of Honeysuckle Do Deer Eat?
We’ll have homeowners ask do deer eat bush honeysuckle or another specific type they have on their property.
The short answer is, yes, deer will eat all types of honeysuckle, including honeysuckle vines, honeysuckle shrubs, bush honeysuckle, trumpet, Japanese, winter, Sakhalin, white limestone, and honeyberry honeysuckle.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Honeysuckle?
Most homeowners will take any help they can mitigating honeysuckle, as it can be a pretty invasive plant.
If you’re in the other camp and want to protect your honeysuckle from deer, we’ve got some great options for you.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting honeysuckle 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 Honeysuckle Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, honeysuckles can bounce back from being eaten down to ground level by deer with few adverse affects.
New honeysuckle shoots will grow quickly and generate new plants.
Is Honeysuckle Good For Deer?
Honeysuckle contains highly digestible fiber and plenty of protein, so it attracts deer easily.
However, honeysuckle is typically used for arthritis and injury recovery, and it is believed that these benefits may translate to deer eating azaleas as well.
In addition to being a great source of protein, deer eating honeysuckle provides them with the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Potassium
These vitamins and minerals provide deer with many benefits.
For example, vitamin C will help protect deer against scurvy and vitamin assists in deer immune system function.
Deer need calcium for bone, teeth, and antler growth and health as well as other bodily functions like milk production and metabolism.
Magnesium helps with antler growth, increasing body weight, and has immune system benefits for deer.
Potassium is great for deer because it helps maintain good pH balance and aid in proper digestion.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Honeysuckle For Deer
Vitamins A, D, E, K, and calcium are fat-soluble, so they can be stored in the deer’s fat and liver to be used later as needed.
This means that calcium content from deer eating honeysuckle can be “stored up” for later use, which is highly beneficial.
Water-Soluble Vitamins In Honeysuckle For Deer
Vitamin C, B Vitamins, niacin, folic acid, and potassium are all water-soluble, which means they cannot be stored, so they must be replaced continually.
So a deer that eats honeysuckle for the potassium content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
Do Deer Eat Honeysuckle? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat honeysuckle?
The answer is yes!
Deer will eat honeysuckle whenever they can, especially during spring when they’re hungry after a long winter and the buds, stems, and leaves are the most tender.
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: