If you’re an avid gardener, you may have wisteria in your outdoor plant collection. Wisteria are beautiful flowering trees and vines that add a touch of elegance to any garden. But do deer eat wisteria?
Deer do not usually eat wisteria. Wisteria are deer-resistant because of their strong scent and bitter taste. But a hungry deer will eat almost anything, which may include wisteria plants.
Considering that a single deer can eat up to ten pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating wisteria can really do some serious damage to your garden!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your wisteria, and keep them healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Wisteria?
As we covered, deer usually stay away from wisteria thanks to their strong scent, texture, and bitter taste.
Deer are most likely to eat wisteria 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 wisteria 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 wisteria 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 wisteria are safer either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Is Wisteria Deer Resistant?
Wisteria are regarded as deer resistant thanks to their taste and scent, both of which deer do not like.
They were rated as “seldom severely damaged” in a study on deer resistant plants by Rutgers University.
The bitter taste and varied texture of the flowers and leaves usually keep deer away.
Deer have a keen sense of smell, and the strong scent of wisteria also repels them.
As we mentioned earlier, just because wisteria 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 wisteria and other plants and flowers.
Read on to learn more.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Wisteria?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting wisteria 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 Wisteria Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, wisteria can bounce back from browsing by deer if given some care, attention, and time.
Wisteria flowers are considered perennials, meaning they’ll grow back year after year.
Fortunately, wisteria can withstand some cutting and browsing from deer all the way down to about 6” back from the tips.
So unless a deer eats your wisteria down to the soil, you should be able to nurse them back to health with regular watering and fertilization.
Do Deer Eat Wisteria? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat wisteria?
Not usually, but they will if they’re hungry enough.
Deer will usually stay away from wisteria, 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:
