If you’re like most gardeners, you probably have at least one rose bush in your yard. Roses are beautiful flowers that add a touch of elegance to any garden. But do deer eat roses?
The answer is yes – deer will eat the blooms, buds, leaves, and even the thorny stems of roses. Deer are attracted to rose bushes because they’re usually fertilized and well-watered.
Considering that a single deer can eat several pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating roses can really do some serious damage to your garden!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your roses, and keep them healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Roses?
As we covered, deer will eat every part of a rose (thorns 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 roses check every box.
Deer will eat the buds, stems, flowers, and leaves from your entire rose bush 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 roses contain water, sugar, and nutrients, which makes them an ideal food source for deer.
And don’t think that your newer rose bushes are safe either: deer actually prefer new growth because the thorns aren’t as sharp.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like roses based on opportunity.
Roses 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 roses out or plant some, and wait to see what happens!
How Do You Stop Deer From Eating Roses?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting roses 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.
What Kinds Of Roses Do Deer Eat?
Deer will eat all kinds of roses, including rose bushes, rose of sharon, lenten roses, knockout roses, carpet roses, confederate roses, climbing roses, drift roses, rugosa roses, shrub roses, fairy roses, mini roses, and wild roses.
Whatever kind of roses you have, you’re well advised to take precautions to keep deer from eating them!
Will My Roses Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, mature roses can withstand some nipping from deer, and will recover with time.
You should trim the rose’s cane just below the part where it was bitten off by deer.
If deer happen to munch down your roses, continue regular care of your plants including watering and use fertilizer sparingly while they recover.
Are Roses Good For Deer?
Yes, roses are very healthy for deer to eat.
Feeding deer roses provides them with the following vitamins and minerals:
- Calcium
- Vitamin C
- Iron
These vitamins and minerals provide deer with many benefits.
Deer need calcium for bone, teeth, and antler growth and health as well as other bodily functions like milk production and metabolism.
Vitamin C will help protect deer against scurvy and assists in deer immune system function.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Roses 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 roses can be “stored up” for later use, which is highly beneficial.
Water-Soluble Vitamins In Roses 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 roses for the vitamin C content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deer Eating Roses
Yes, deer will eat wild roses and wild rose bushes the same way they eagerly eat the roses or rose bushes in your garden.
Yes, deer will eat rose buds and the entire rest of the rose bush: blossoms, leaves, and even the thorny stems.
Can Deer Eat Roses? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat roses?
The answer is yes!
Deer will eat the entire rose bush if they can, and they benefit from the vitamins and minerals found in these flowers.
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:
- How long do deer live?
- Can deer eat orange peels?
- Do deer eat rutabaga?
- Do deer eat buckwheat?
- Do deer eat black walnuts?
- Do deer eat hickory nuts?
- Do deer eat Bermuda grass?
- Do deer eat corn on the cob?
- Do deer eat pumpkins?
- Do deer eat mums?
- Do deer eat sunflowers?
- Do deer eat tulips?
- Do deer eat rhododendron?
- Do deer eat hibiscus?
- Will deer eat clematis?
- Do deer eat phlox?
- Do deer eat white pine?
