If you’re an avid gardener, you may have hollyhocks in your outdoor plant collection. Hollyhocks are beautiful flowering shrubs that add a touch of elegance to any garden. But do deer eat hollyhocks?
Deer do not usually eat hollyhocks. Hollyhocks are deer-resistant because of their strong scent and bitter taste. But a hungry deer will eat almost anything, which may include hollyhock plants.
Considering that a single deer can eat up to ten pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating hollyhocks can really do some serious damage to your garden!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your hollyhocks, and keep them healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Hollyhocks?
As we covered, deer usually stay away from hollyhocks thanks to their strong scent and bitter taste.
Deer are most likely to eat hollyhocks 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 hollyhocks 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 hollyhocks 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 hollyhocks are safer either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Are Hollyhocks Deer Resistant?
Hollyhocks 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 hollyhocks also repels them.
As we mentioned earlier, just because hollyhocks 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 hollyhocks and other plants and flowers.
Read on to learn more.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Hollyhocks?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting hollyhocks 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 Hollyhocks Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, hollyhocks can bounce back from browsing by deer if given some care, attention, and time.
Hollyhocks are considered perennials in most climates, meaning they’ll come back each season.
They also usually reseed themselves, so unless a deer took out the entire plant prior to your hollyhocks reseeding, they’ll be fine.
Once they’re initially established, they will remain rather hardy and hold up to occasional browsing by deer.
Do Deer Eat Hollyhocks? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat hollyhocks?
Not usually, but they will if they’re hungry enough.
Deer will usually stay away from hollyhocks, 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: