Will Deer Eat Evergreen Trees

Do Deer eat evergreen trees? Deer eat a wide range of things, and evergreen trees are not left out. In this article, we will talk about how and what type of evergreen trees deer prefer to eat.

A hungry deer eats almost anything it encounters and poses a great danger to the growth of many things. Therefore, when you consider the question – do Deer eat evergreen trees? The answer is relatively simple.

Deer can eat a great many evergreen trees and shrubs. They also eat the buds, acorns, berries, and twigs from young budding trees. Even so, deer are also known for jumping 6-foot fences and can stand on their hind legs to reach 7 to 8 feet high to get their food from any tree.

Types of evergreen trees deer eat.
Although deer eat many types of evergreen trees, there are some evergreens that they favor over the rest. Trees preferred by Deer are called vulnerable trees, while trees deer do not typically eat are called “Deer resistant.” Here are some evergreen trees, Deer favors over the rest.
● Yew
● Daylily
● Fir
● Arborvitae
● Indian Hawthorne
● English Ivy

Planting Deer resistant evergreen trees

To deter Deer from cherished evergreens, many growers typically use Deer resistant evergreens on the outsides, thereby protecting the more vulnerable trees. However, do note that if a deer is hungry enough (especially in winter), they can eat everything, including those deer resistant evergreen trees. Even so, Deer resistant trees differ from one location to the next. This is because some evergreens in one place might be a familiar source of food to another deer in a different place. Overall, here are some Deer resistant evergreen trees that might be the same for many regions:

● Fragrant plants such as peonies, lavenders, and bearded irises
● Thorny or fuzzy plants such as roses, lamb’s ear, or spirea
● Bleeding hearts
● Poisonous plants
● Japanese false cypress
● Mugo pines
● Dwarf Alberta spruces
● Colorado blue spruces
● American holly trees
● Japanese umbrella pines

Other ways to deter Deer from evergreen trees

Besides planting deer resistant evergreens, you must also combine other methods to deter deer from your gardens. Here are some strategies you can consider:

1. Consider using animal repellents, but you must also alternate between repellents as Deer tend to become accustomed to the smell quickly. It would be best if you reapplied after rains.
2. Use fences of about 8-foot to keep Deer from jumping or leaning over. You can also consider using two parallel walls of about 4 – 6 feet high with 4 to 5 feet between them.
3. For areas where fences are impossible to use, consider using nets around areas, where Deer can easily damage your young plants. You may have to change the netting frequently as your young plants grow.

Final thoughts

Do Deer eat evergreen trees? Absolutely. However, like other plants, deer prefer some evergreen trees over others. They usually do more damage to those vulnerable evergreens they love to eat from. Nevertheless, a hungry deer will eat anything and everything in its parts. Therefore, we recommend that growers use multiple techniques at the same time, to keep Deer away from their evergreen trees.