Do Deer Eat Hydrangeas? An Expert Guide to Keeping Them Safe

Do deer like hydrangeas? If you are asking yourself, “Are hydrangeas deer resistant?” you are not alone. Those who live in deer-prone areas know the damage that hungry deer can cause to garden plants. One of the most popular garden shrubs, hydrangeas are vulnerable to deer browse. A herd of deer can decimate your most treasured plants in a single day.

Though no garden plant is completely immune to deer damage, there are many ways to protect your hydrangea shrubs and other vulnerable plants. Our experts offer practical information on keeping your garden safe, along with alternative plants for the most deer-prone areas.

UNDERSTANDING DEER DAMAGE TO HYDRANGEAS

Deer love hydrangea bushes for their tender new growth and high moisture content. The leaves, stems, flower buds and flowers of hydrangeas are highly digestible, with energy-boosting nutrients, making them especially appealing to deer. Hydrangea shrubs grow close to the ground, allowing easy access for deer to graze.

Factors that influence deer damage

In order to protect your plants, it’s important to understand the relationship between hydrangea and deer. Some gardeners experience little or no deer damage to hydrangeas, while for others, the damage can be extensive.

The amount of damage caused by deer depends on:

• The size of the herd - Larger deer populations lead to more frequent browsing.
• Amount of other food sources available - When natural food is scarce, hydrangeas become a more attractive option.
• Time of year - Plants are more vulnerable in late winter and early spring when other food sources are scarce.
• Regional differences - Food preferences, as well as the extent of damage, can vary in different areas.

Expert Tip: “What we want to do as gardeners is make our gardens the least palatable to deer as possible,” says Stacy Ling of Bricks ’n Blooms. “We want to make it harder for them to want to eat our plants. I like to plant highly resistant plants with low-resistant plants.”

How to recognize deer damage on hydrangeas

If you are asking yourself if deer ate my hydrangea, symptoms include:

• Stripped leaves
• Broken stems
• Loss of flower buds or blooms

Repeat damage from year to year can eventually weaken or kill plants. Discouraging deer and protecting plants during the time when flower buds are forming, as well as when plants are blooming, is crucial. In most cases, hydrangea shrubs should survive deer browse, but may suffer foliage damage and the loss of flower buds and flowers for the growing season.

HYDRANGEA TYPES AND DEER RESITANCE

It’s important to know what type of hydrangeas you have. Some hydrangeas bloom on the previous year’s growth (old wood), while others bloom on the current season’s growth (new wood). Newer cultivars bloom on both old and new wood. Plants that bloom on old wood and are grazed in late winter or early spring will lose their flowers for that entire growing season. Hydrangeas that bloom on the current season’s growth will have a better chance of recovery from winter grazing.

Which Types Are More Deer Resistant?

Some hydrangeas are more resistant to deer browse than others, though this can vary in different areas. Younger plants are more vulnerable than older, established specimens.

In general, the most deer-resistant types include:

• Bracted hydrangea (Hydrangea involucrata): Deer dislike the fuzzy texture of the leaves.
• Mountain hydrangea (H. serrata): The rough foliage is less appealing to deer. It also blooms later in the season, when other food sources are plentiful, so the flower buds are less likely to be nibbled on.
• Climbing hydrangeas (H. anomala spp. petiolaris): These are somewhat deer resistant, as deer can’t reach blooms that are higher off the ground than 6 feet.

Recovery and Susceptibility

• Smooth hydrangeas (H. arborescens): May recover better from early-season deer browse, since they bloom on the current season’s growth.
• Panicle hydrangea (H. paniculata): Blooms later in the growing season, when other food sources are more abundant, making the flowers less prone to damage.
• Oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia): Some homeowners find this to be the least deer-resistant type. Plants bloom on old wood, and the flower buds are prone to damage during winter and early spring when deer are the most hungry and other food sources are scarce.

Expert Advice on Bigleaf Hydrangeas

One of the most popular hydrangeas, bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla) produces showy globe-shaped flowers in a range of colors. This type of hydrangea may be susceptible to the loss of flower buds.

Expert Tip: Erin Schanen of The Impatient Gardener says “Macrophyllas bloom on old wood (some also bloom to a lesser extent on new wood), so anything that damages those flower buds, which are set the year before, will prevent them from blooming. In my garden that’s usually cold, but deer browsing or pruning after the buds have started forming can do it too.”

HOW TO PROTECT HYDRANGEA FROM DEER

Here are some of the most effective ways to prevent deer damage to your hydrangeas and other garden plants. Use a combination of strategies for the best results.

Create a barrier

Erin notes, “The best way to deal with deer is to exclude them—get them out of your garden. A great way to do that is with a perimeter fence.” Deer proof your yard with a physical barrier such as an electric fence, or a wire or wooden fence high enough to keep out deer. Deer can jump up to 8 feet in the air, so a fence should be at least that high. Deer have poor depth perception, so a lower side-by-side fence would also keep them out of your yard.

Place hydrangeas near your home

Deer prefer to graze on plants where there is limited human activity. Site hydrangea bushes near your home or other areas with regular foot traffic to deter deer.

Cover plants

Wrap dormant plants with deer netting or burlap to protect from deer graze in late winter and early spring when deer are the most hungry. Netting is also effective during the growing season and is nearly invisible, so it won’t be unsightly when you are enjoying your flowering plants.

Gardeners often notice deer browsing shortly after planting, especially on young hydrangeas. One Michigan gardener growing Quick Fire^® Panicle Hydrangea shared, “Not two weeks after planting the leaves were stripped off." Early protection can help new plants establish successfully.

Choose companion plants

Plants that repel deer have scented flowers or foliage, a bitter taste or unpleasant smell. Textural plants with rough foliage, thorns, spines or spiky growth are also shunned by deer. Place deer-repellent plants around your hydrangeas to discourage deer such as holly, juniper, lilac, mahonia, marigolds, mock orange, flowering quince, and sweet alyssum. Select plants with different deer-deterring attributes for long-lasting protection throughout the growing season.

Apply repellent

There are many different types of commercial deer repellents that will help deter these pests. Sprays or granules have a displeasing odor of rotten eggs, a strong garlic scent, or predator urine, with some including essential oils. Apply in early spring as new growth emerges, and reapply regularly, especially after it rains. Use repellents according to package instructions, and rotate between different brands if deer become acclimated. Stacy says, “I have really found that using a two-pronged strategy of a perimeter repellent as well as actually spraying the plants has shown the deer have been leaving my plants totally alone.”

Erin goes one step further, protecting plants year-round. “I do use deer spray in winter on occasion for plants like hydrangea that bloom on old wood, because if they bite off the flower buds, then you won’t have any flowers.”

Use homemade remedies

Make your own repellent spray with eggs, garlic or essential oils. Placing bars of Irish Spring soap near plants may be somewhat effective, while coffee grounds sprinkled around the base of plants have mixed results.

Install motion-activated devices

Motion-activated sprinklers, lights or noise makers provide an element of surprise, helping to keep hungry deer away. Use a mix of strategies so deer don’t become accustomed to any one device.

Allow your dog access

Many gardeners find that deer will avoid their yards due to the presence of pet dogs.

DEER-RESISTANT HYDRANGEA ALTERNATIVES

In areas that are especially deer prone, consider shrubs that look similar to hydrangea but are more deer resistant. Try some of these Proven Winner varieties in your yard:

Find more hydrangea look-alikes, handpicked by Kristina Howley of Proven Winners ColorChoice.

FAQs

Do deer eat limelight hydrangea?

‘Limelight’, one of the most popular varieties, is a panicle hydrangea, which is susceptible to deer damage. If you live in a deer-prone area, protect plants with deer repellent. Stacy says, “I suggest spraying the leaves with deer repellent when the foliage emerges and every month after. And possibly spray more often than that if there is a large herd or an abundance of rain. It’s equally important to spray limelight hydrangea flowers too as they emerge and again when they start to bloom.”

How do I keep deer from eating my hydrangeas?

There are many different ways to protect hydrangea plants from deer. These include fencing, netting and deer repellent. In areas that are especially deer prone, substitute hydrangeas with similar-looking shrubs that are less appealing to deer.

Which hydrangea is most deer resistant?

Bracted and mountain hydrangeas are more deer resistant than other types due to their thick, textured leaves that deer tend to leave alone. Reblooming varieties may recover better from deer damage than other types since they bloom throughout the growing season on both old and new wood. 

Will hydrangeas come back after deer eat them?

Plants are more vulnerable to damage in late winter and early spring when food is scarce and deer are the most hungry. Deer are especially attracted to the tender new leaves and flower buds of hydrangea shrubs. Hydrangea eaten by deer can experience a loss of leaves and flower buds, damaged bark, or broken branches. Whether or not plants recover depends on the extent of the damage.

However, many gardeners find that hydrangeas bounce back well with care. A gardener in Georgia shared that her 'Limelight' hydrangeas “doubled their size...even with deer nibbling before I got serious about applying deer spray regularly.”

Sources:

Hydrangea heaven: An ode to a great shrub, Erin Schanen, The Impatient Gardener

Are Hydrangeas Deer Resistant? The Best Repellent Strategy, Stacy Ling, Bricks 'n Blooms