Do Deer Eat Rosemary?

If you are a gardener, concerned about the herbs you should cultivate to keep deer from your garden Rosemary is a great option. In this article, we will talk about the Rosemary plant and your deer problem.

If you live in areas with a high level of deer problems, then the thought of having deer mow through your garden must be giving you sleepless nights. One question on your mind as well as other gardeners out there, would be – do deer eat Rosemary? Am I better off planting something else?

Fortunately, Rosemary is a perfect deer resistant plant. It also has a beautiful smell that transforms the ambience in your home and gardens. However, deer do not like such scents, so you can enjoy the aroma while keeping deer away. Even so, Rosemary plant has excellent varieties, in different shades of white, pink, and blue. Feel free to mix up the three, to give your garden a facelift and tackle your deer problem at the same time.

How to plant Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a drought tolerating herb from the Mediterranean region. It has a potent, piney smell, which we love so much but is disliked by deer. When you add Rosemary to your garden, it will not just spice off the aroma in there, but can become a huge part of your diet as well. However, to plant Rosemary, you have to do so in large pots. The plant is fragile but can do well in sandy soil. All, you need to is to ensure it has large doses of sunshine with good drainage. During your hottest months, you can off-course bury the pots wherever you want them.

Other deer resistant herbs to try

Bear in mind that, there is no single plant that completely alleviates your deer woes. It would help if you planted a couple of other deer-resistant herbs alongside different deer proofing strategies to prevent deer from ravaging your gardens. Other deer-resistant herbs you can use alongside your Rosemary includes: basil, thyme, sage, rosemary sage and Greek oregano. Mint is also a wonderful deer-resistant herb, but it is mainly invasive and tends to spread everywhere, limiting the growth of other plants in your garden.

If you also plan on mixing with other deer-resistant plants, you can try ageratum, spirea, Siberian bugloss, lady’s mantle, lamb’s ear and yarrow. Other plants with toxic compounds are also excellent choices to tackle your deer problem.

Some of these include ferns, hellebore, poppies, and bleeding hearts. However, do bear in mind that these plants may also be harmful to humans, so be careful when planting them in homes with kids, as they also like to “browse.”

Concluding thoughts

Do deer eat Rosemary? No, they don’t. Hence, Rosemary is an excellent deer resistant plant to keep them away. However, do note that in regions with very high deer traffic, you may encounter starving deer. These will eat everything they find, including those plants termed unpalatable. Therefore, you should also consider other deer proofing strategies such as sprays, scare devices, fences, and deer repellents.