Do deer eat begonias?

How do you cultivate a deer-resistant garden if you have to worry about these voracious eaters? In this article, let’s talk about deer and their relationship with begonias.

Begonias come in many attractive shapes and colors. White, orange, pink, yellow, red, and salmon blooms – they can brighten up your yard, giving it a lush and gorgeous appeal. Begonias bloom through summer, thriving mostly in shaded spots where you can only find a few other showy plants. This is why we often have them as bedding plants in hanging baskets, porches, and patios. There is also an astounding number of variants for you, and as long as you’ve got well-drained soil, you can look forward to remarkable results. However, what if you have a high deer population in your area? Then you might wonder just what kind of resistance you can expect from your begonias garden. So you might ask – do deer eat begonias?

Deer and Begonias flowers

Fortunately, deer do not like begonias. Their pungent scent and foliage are unappetizing to deer. However, a hungry deer will eat almost anything. This is why we recommend protecting even the most resistant plants.

Four ways to prevent deer damage

Add other deer resistant annuals

You can choose between wax begonias, tuberose begonias, dragon wing begonias, rex begonias, and hardy begonias to build your deer-resistant patch.

Besides your begonias, you can also consider other deer resistant choices to increase deterrence. You can choose between sun-loving annuals (ageratum, annual black-eyed Susan, sulfur cosmos) and shade annuals (Persian shield, wishbone flowers, caladiums).

Fencing

You can also install a fence to keep deer out, but putting up a wall is expensive. If you are dealing with several acres, you need to consider your options. For instance, the most effective against deer is an eight-foot-tall fence. But for multiple acres, you can consider putting up a parallel fence of about 4 to 5 feet. A 45-degree slanted fence is also an excellent choice as deer cannot jump over or crawl under the fence.

Invisible deer netting

You can also use a black mesh deer netting, secured with 4 X 4s or metal t-bar garden posts to keep them out. But ensure that this deer netting is also about eight feet tall. You can also add colorful springs or streamers to the fence to keep deer from accidentally running through it when spooked.

Use deer repellents

You can also use deer repellents to keep deer away from your begonias. There are many deer repellents out there for you. However, you need to rotate your repellent sprays to keep deer from getting used to them. You also need to apply them religiously, especially after it rains or snows. Applying is also vital regularly to cover new growths too.

Concluding thoughts

Do deer eat begonias? No, they don’t, except as a last resort. However, no plant or flower is entirely deer-proof. So you might want to add other deer deterrent methods to keep them out. Moreover, each herd of deer is different. Gardening with deer will require lots of experimentation and patience. Click to review a list of plants rated by deer resistance…

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