If you’re an avid gardener, you may have bearded iris in your outdoor plant collection. Bearded irises are beautiful flowering shrubs that add a touch of elegance to any garden. But do deer eat bearded iris?
Deer do not usually eat bearded iris. Bearded irises are deer-resistant because of their strong scent and bitter taste. But a hungry deer will eat almost anything, which may include bearded iris plants.
Considering that a single deer can eat up to ten pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating bearded iris can really do some serious damage to your garden!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your bearded iris, and keep them healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Bearded Iris?
As we covered, deer usually stay away from bearded iris thanks to their strong scent and bitter taste.
Deer are most likely to eat bearded iris 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 bearded iris 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 bearded iris 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 bearded iris are safer either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Is Bearded Iris Deer Resistant?
Bearded irises are regarded as deer resistant thanks to their taste and scent, both of which deer do not like.
Deer also don’t like leaves with textures like hairs on them, and the ridged edges of bearded iris leaves are a turn-off for them.
The bitter taste of the flowers and leaves usually keep deer away.
Deer have a keen sense of smell, and the strong scent of bearded iris also repels them.
As we mentioned earlier, just because bearded iris 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 bearded iris and other plants and flowers.
Read on to learn more.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Bearded irises?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting bearded iris 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 Bearded Irises Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, bearded iris can bounce back from browsing by deer if given some care, attention, and time.
Bearded irises are considered perennials, meaning they grow back year after year.
However, if deer damage your bearded iris, they usually won’t bloom again until the following year, and there’s not much you can do to change that.
Do Deer Eat Bearded Iris? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat bearded iris?
Not usually, but they will if they’re hungry enough.
Deer will usually stay away from bearded iris, 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:
- Do deer eat butterfly weed?
- Do deer eat pentas?
- Do deer eat black eyed susan?
- Do deer eat goldenrod?
- Do deer eat hollyhocks?
- Is agapanthus deer resistant?
- Do deer eat balloon flowers?
- Do deer eat Korean spice viburnum?
- Do deer eat baptisia?
- Do deer eat calla lilies?
- Do deer eat camellias?
- Do deer eat gladiolus?
