There are a lot of myths out there about what deer do and do not eat. One common question is: do deer eat asparagus?
Yes, deer will eat young asparagus plants but will generally avoid established older asparagus. While asparagus is categorized as deer resistant, deer will eat anything if they’re hungry enough. Deer like eating tender greens and vegetables that are high in nutritional value, and newer asparagus plants check every box.
There’s a bit more to learn about deer eating asparagus which we’ll cover in today’s guide. Read on for more info.
Why Do Deer Eat Asparagus?
As we covered, deer will eat asparagus if they’re hungry enough and when they’ve got the chance.
But why do they do this?
Well, for one, deer are browsing animals, meaning they’ll eat almost anything they come across if other food sources are running low.
They love leafy greens that are well-watered and fertilized, which makes asparagus a prime target for deer.
Your asparagus are most susceptible to deer when there are fewer other food choices around for them, and especially when the plants are young and the shoots and leaves are tender.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like asparagus based on opportunity.
If you’re not convinced, leave some asparagus out for deer to eat (or plant some), and wait to see what happens!
Are Asparagus Deer Resistant?
Yes, asparagus are somewhat deer resistant.
Deer are attracted to asparagus because of the leafy greens, high water content, taste, and easy availability.
Your asparagus plants are most susceptible to deer damage when they are young and tender or when other food sources in their area have been depleted.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Asparagus?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting asparagus 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 Asparagus Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
So a hungry deer snuck in your garden and had a feast on your asparagus. Will they grow back?
Asparagus is a perennial, meaning that it will grow back year after year.
Even if a deer eats them down to the ground, they’ll usually grow back with regular watering and care.
Are Asparagus Good For Deer To Eat?
Asparagus contain highly digestible fiber, water, and a good bit of carbs and protein, so they attract deer easily.
Feeding deer asparagus and parsnip greens provides them with the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamins B6, C, & D
- Calcium
- Iron
- Magnesium
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 is great for antler growth, increasing body weight, and has immune system benefits for deer.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins 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 asparagus can be “stored up” for later use, which is highly beneficial.
Water-Soluble Vitamins 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 asparagus for the vitamin C content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
Can I Feed Asparagus To Deer?
Feeding deer foods like asparagus occasionally is fine, as deer will usually enjoy it!
Feeding wild deer asparagus regularly poses a few problems, however.
Here’s why you shouldn’t feed asparagus to deer often.
Deer Need To Rely On Nature For Food
If you feed deer continuously, they may start relying on that food source, which will cause them to stop foraging in nature for foods that they need to survive.
Natural Foods Are Naturally Better For Deer
Feeding deer foods like asparagus can alter their diet significantly, depending on what you’re feeding them, increasing the chance of malnourishment.
Deer Should Have A Healthy Fear Of Humans
Second, it reduces a deer’s natural fear of humans, which can shorten their lifespan or put them in danger.
You May Attract Other (Unwanted) Wildlife
Putting extra food out for deer can also attract predators like coyotes, wolves, or mountain lions to the area, which put the deer (and potentially you) at risk.
You Can Increase The Transmission Of Diseases
If you have lots of deer in your area, think twice about putting out food continuously for them.
If you bring deer together at the same feeding site, it can increase their risk of contracting chronic wasting disease or other communicable diseases from each other.
How To Feed Deer Asparagus
Most gardeners and veggie growers want to keep deer away from their asparagus.
If you have extra asparagus or are looking to see if you can feed asparagus to deer in your backyard, this next part is for you.
There are a few things to keep in mind when feeding deer asparagus: the size of the portion and your scent.
Make sure to place the asparagus on the ground where they’re visible and can be easily reached by deer.
If deer are not normally around your area in winter, don’t feed them leading up to winter as they will not migrate where and when they should.
This will lead to the deer relying on you as their food source and can result in starvation.
Should I Cut Up Asparagus For Deer To Eat?
Deer are used to eating leafy greens like asparagus and the plant is also very tender, so you do not need to cut up asparagus when feeding them to deer.
Don’t Leave Your Scent On Deer Food
Deer have a keen sense of smell that allows them to smell human scent farther than bloodhounds can, and can smell up to six different scents at once.
Deer won’t eat food like asparagus if they have a strong human scent on them, so you should take care to minimize your trace.
You can do this by rinsing the asparagus and also washing your hands with antimicrobial soap.
Alternatively, you can put a few drops of apple cider vinegar on your hands when handling food you’ll be giving to the deer.
Another easy option is to use gloves when handling asparagus for deer to eat.
Consider The Amount Of Deer You’re Feeding
If you have lots of deer in your area, think twice about putting out food continuously for them.
If you bring deer together at the same feeding site, it can increase their risk of contracting chronic wasting disease or other communicable diseases from each other.
Do Deer Eat Asparagus? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat asparagus?
The answer is yes, while asparagus are deer resistant, deer will absolutely eat asparagus plants if they’re hungry enough.
Deer are more attracted to young asparagus plants because they’re more tender, and will usually stay away from mature asparagus.
Fortunately there are many methods you can use and combine to keep deer away from your asparagus if you need to.
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:
