If you’re like most gardeners, you probably have at least a few petunia flowers in your yard. Petunias are beautiful flowers that add a touch of elegance to any garden. But do deer eat petunia flowers?
The answer is yes – deer will eat the blooms, buds, leaves, and even the stems of petunia flowers. Deer are attracted to petunia flowers because they’re usually well-watered, fertilized, and are tasty to them.
Considering that a single deer can eat several pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating petunia flowers can really do some serious damage to your garden!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your petunias and keep them healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Petunia Flowers?
As we covered, deer will eat every part of a petunia flower (stem, leaves, seeds, blooms, bud, and all) when they’ve got the chance.
But why do they do this?
Deer like lush plants that are well-watered and fertilized, and petunias check every box.
Also they are most likely to mow down your flowers during spring, because they’re really hungry after a long winter.
Deer can do some serious damage to a large amount of petunia flower 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.
Flowers like petunias contain water, sugar, protein, and nutrients, which makes them an ideal food source for deer.
And don’t think that your newer petunia flower plants are safe either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like petunias based on opportunity.
Petunias attract deer because they are planted in the ground or in pots, so they’re easy to access.
If you’re not convinced, leave some potted petunias out or plant some, and wait to see what happens!
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Petunia Flowers?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting petunias 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.
Are Petunia Flowers Good For Deer To Eat?
There are no nutritional studies or facts available on petunia flowers in terms of vitamins and nutrients that they contain.
However, petunia flowers are typically used as an antioxidant, and it is believed that these benefits may translate to deer eating petunia flowers as well.
Will My Petunias Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, petunias can withstand some moderate chewing from deer as they are designed to be regularly pruned.
Unless the deer have severely chomped down your petunias to the stems, expect stems to branch out and give a few new blooms within 2 or 3 days after being eaten by deer.
If deer happen to munch down your petunia flowers, continue regular care of your plants including watering and fertilizer as necessary until they’re back to good health.
Do Deer Eat Petunia Flowers? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat petunia flowers?
The answer is yes!
Deer will eat all the petunias they can, especially during spring when they’re hungry after a long winter and the flower, stems, and leaves are the most tender.
Fortunately there are many methods you can use and combine to keep deer away from your precious petunias. Try a few and see what works best for you.
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: