If you’re an avid gardener, you may have agapanthus in your outdoor plant collection. Agapanthus (also known as Lily of the Nile) are beautiful flowers that add a touch of elegance to any garden. But is agapanthus deer resistant?
Deer do not usually eat agapanthus. Agapanthus are deer-resistant because of their strong scent and bitter taste. But a hungry deer will eat almost anything, which may include agapanthus plants.
Considering that a single deer can eat up to ten pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating agapanthus can really do some serious damage to your garden!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your agapanthus, and keep them healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Agapanthus?
As we covered, deer usually stay away from agapanthus thanks to their strong scent and bitter taste.
Deer are most likely to eat agapanthus 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 agapanthus 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 agapanthus 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 agapanthus are safer either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Do Deer Eat Agapanthus?
Agapanthus are regarded as deer resistant thanks to their taste and scent, both of which deer do not like.
They were rated as “occasionally 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 agapanthus also repels them.
As we mentioned earlier, just because agapanthus 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 agapanthus and other plants and flowers.
Read on to learn more.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Agapanthus?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting agapanthus 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 Agapanthus Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, agapanthus can bounce back from browsing by deer if given some care, attention, and time.
Agapanthus are considered perennials or annuals depending on the climate, meaning they’ll either grow year-round or come back each season.
Once they’re initially established, they will remain rather hardy and hold up to occasional browsing by deer.
If a deer heavily browses your agapanthus, cut back any dead foliage and care for the plant as usual including fertilization and watering until it’s back to good health.
Do Deer Eat Agapanthus? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat agapanthus?
Not usually, but they will if they’re hungry enough.
Deer will usually stay away from agapanthus, 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: