If you’re an avid gardener, you may have pentas in your garden or yard. Pentas are beautiful flowering shrubs that add a touch of elegance to any garden. But do deer eat pentas?
Deer do not usually eat pentas. Pentas are deer-resistant because of it’s strong scent and bitter taste. But a hungry deer will eat almost anything, which may include penta plants.
Considering that a single deer can eat up to ten pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating pentas can really do some serious damage to your garden!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your pentas, and keep them healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Pentas?
As we covered, deer usually stay away from pentas thanks to their strong scent and bitter taste.
Deer are most likely to eat pentas 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 pentas 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 pentas 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 pentas are safer either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Are Pentas Deer Resistant?
Pentas are regarded as deer resistant thanks to their taste and scent, both of which deer do not like.
They were rated as “seldom severely damaged” in a study on deer resistant plants by Rutgers University.
The bitter taste of the flowers and leaves usually keep deer away.
Deer have a keen sense of smell, and the strong scent of pentas also repels them.
As we mentioned earlier, just because pentas 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 pentas and other plants and flowers.
Read on to learn more.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Pentas?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting pentas 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 Pentas Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, pentas can bounce back from browsing by deer if given some care, attention, and time.
Pentas are considered perennials in warm climates, meaning they’ll come back each season.
In colder zones, pentas are considered annual, so they need to be replanted each year.
If you live in a colder zone and deer eat your pentas, you’ll need to replant them.
If you’re in a warmer climate and deer ate your penta plants then they should grow back.
Do Deer Eat Pentas? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat pentas?
Not usually, but they will if they’re hungry enough.
Deer will usually stay away from pentas, 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:
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