Do deer eat lilac bushes?

However, if deer is a source of problem for your other plants, you may wonder if it will be the same with the newest addition. So your question is – do deer eat lilac bushes?

Lilac bushes as deer resistant?

Deer do not eat lilac bushes. Their pungent aroma is the same reason deer would mostly stay away from them. However, always remember that no plant is entirely deer-proof.

Even as lilac bushes have seldom and occasionally severely damaged varieties, they can still be eaten.

Deer will most likely eat the lilac bushes during the winter or when other food sources are scarce. It also happens when your lilac bushes are young because deer will gladly feed on them. If lilac bushes are also native to your area, there’s a high chance they might become one of the deer’s favorite foods.

However, there are methods you can use to keep deer out of your lilac bushes for good confidently.

Complement with other deer-resistant species

Besides lilac bushes, adding other deer-resistant varieties will further discourage deer from coming into your garden. Shrubs like lilac you might like include: rose of sharon, butterfly bushes, forsythia, etc. Click to se a list of deer resistant plants.

Deer repellent sprays

Deer repellents can help keep deer from nibbling on your lilacs through their unpleasant flavors and smells. You can create deer repellent sprays at home for that purpose, but it is often better to purchase one online. That way, you can look forward to a repellent mix that works effectively. However, you also need to consider two different repellents. Deer adapt quickly to smells and flavors, so one particular repellent smell or taste may not work for a long time. By rotating after a few weeks, you can keep them uncertain.

Fencing

Fencing is one of the best ways to keep deer out for good. However, they are more expensive and require more work. For instance, you need a fence of over 8 to ft tall. Deer can jump as high as six-foot, so a shorter fence would not keep them out. You can also use two fences instead of one. A double fence of about 5 -6 feet about 1 – 5 feet apart will be adequate. Deer would never jump across if it cannot see where it lands.

Concluding thoughts

Do deer eat lilac bushes? Not really. Lilac bushes are classified as deer resistant. However, some natives say that deer have indeed eaten all of their lilac bushes in the past. So, you need a solution? Use deer preventive strategies to keep them out and avoid the heartache of deer damage.

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