Deer can be a nuisance in gardens, munching on plants and flowers. If you’ve planted chrysanthemums, or mums, you may be wondering: will deer eat mums in my yard?
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: deer will eat mums, but it’s not their favorite plant. They tend to go for tastier options first.
In this comprehensive article, we’ll explore deer behavior and diet in detail to help you understand if and when deer will feed on mums in your garden. We’ll also provide tips to deter deer from snacking on your chrysanthemums.
Do Deer Like to Eat Mums?
Mums Are Not a Preferred Food Source
Deer tend to avoid eating mums (Chrysanthemum species) and generally do not see them as a viable food source. Mums contain pyrethrin compounds that act as natural insecticides but deter deer from consuming the plants. Additionally, mums have a strong, pungent odor that deer dislike.
Deer have a keen sense of smell and prefer to eat more palatable options. While deer will sample different plants, mums are typically not their first choice when browsing for food.
Deer thrive on nutrient-rich and tender herbs, grasses, fruits, acorns, and saplings. They gravitate towards easily digestible vegetation high in sugars, proteins, and calories. Compared to other flowering plants and vegetables, mums offer minimal nutritional value for deer.
The deer’s diet consists mainly of graminoids, forbs, soft twigs, fruits, fungi, and acorns. Therefore, deer usually ignore mums unless faced with extreme hunger or food scarcity.
When Deer Will Turn to Mums
In certain situations, deer may resort to eating mums if more suitable vegetation is unavailable. For example, during the winter months when the food supply is limited, deer can become desperate and less selective in their eating habits.
If the deer’s habitat lacks enough of their preferred foods, they may sample mums as a supplemental food source. Additionally, extreme weather events or droughts that kill off native plants may force deer to try unconventional foods like mums simply to survive.
In spring, does may eat small amounts of mums if necessary to support the nutritional demands of nursing fawns. While not an ideal food source, mums can provide calories and nutrients when does are producing milk for their offspring.
Also, in urban and suburban areas, deer living close to neighborhoods may develop a taste for mums if they find easy access to landscaping plants.
Deer Diet and Eating Habits
Preferred Foods
Deer are herbivores, meaning they only eat plant materials. Their preferred foods consist of many different types of vegetation, including grasses, forbs (broad-leaf flowering plants), shrubs, vines, and even the leaves and stems of woody trees.
Deer have a diverse palate and are quite opportunistic when it comes to finding food sources. Throughout the year, they will browse on whatever greens are readily available and growing in their habitat.
In the spring and summer months when plants are lush and growing, deer enjoy grazing on green grass, clover, alfalfa, and an assortment of other herbaceous plants. They also snack on the leaves, twigs, buds, and fruits of woody shrubs and trees.
Favorites include oak, maple, sumac, dogwood, and honeysuckle. In autumn when greens start to fade, deer switch over to acorns and other nuts, fruits, mushrooms, and remaining leafy growth they can find before winter sets in.
How Deer Choose What to Eat
Deer forage selectively, choosing to eat plants that are more palatable and nutritious. They tend to prefer leaves and shoots that are higher in protein, minerals, and energy content. New growth is favored over older, woodier stems and stalks.
Sweeter plants are chosen over bitter, and larger quantities of a food source are consumed when abundance is high. For instance, if a deer wanders into a garden filled with flowers and vegetables, it will opt to feast on tastier options like tomatoes, beans, or carrots over foliage and herbs.
Deer also exhibit a learned behavior when acquiring foods. If they find something delectable in a certain area, they are likely to return to that location repeatedly. This explains why deer can become problematic in yards and gardens where they’ve discovered an excellent source of treats.
Once deer associate a particular property with desirable plants to eat, they will congregate and browse heavily. This can quickly lead to extreme damage.
When Deer Are Most Active
Deer are most active while foraging for food during crepuscular hours around dawn and dusk. This behavior coincides with cooler temperatures and lower risk of predators. At night, their activity decreases significantly as bedding down takes priority.
However, deer will continue browsing and grazing periodically under the moonlight if undisturbed.
In areas shared with human populations, deer tend to adapt their feeding times around our schedules. They often become nocturnal to avoid encounters with people during the day. Similarly, daytime activity increases on the weekends when fewer folks are out and about at home.
Deer have also learned to capitalize on prime feeding opportunities whenever we aren’t around, be it midday or midnight. Their flexible and opportunistic nature allows them to thrive close to suburban and urban settings.
Tips to Keep Deer From Eating Mums
Fencing
Installing fencing around your mums is one of the most effective ways to protect them from hungry deer. An 8-foot-tall plastic or wire mesh fence anchored securely to the ground works best to keep deer out. For smaller areas, some lightweight nettings could also deter deer.
Just make sure there are no gaps in the fencing larger than 6 inches for deer to crawl under or leap over.
Repellents
There are several commercial deer repellent sprays and granules on the market that use smells unpleasant to deer to deter them. These are made with ingredients like garlic, rotten eggs, soap, and predator urine. Apply them liberally around the perimeter of your mums and reapply after heavy rains.
Some popular brands include Liquid Fence® and Deer Out®. Homemade repellents like mixtures of hot pepper flakes and water can also work.
Scare Tactics
Using scare tactics and devices that startle deer when they come near your garden can train them to avoid the area. Tactics like waving your arms and yelling when you see deer can help scare them off. Motion-activated sprinklers like the ScareCrow® also effectively shoo deer away.
Hanging old CDs that reflect light and blow in the wind may help spook them too. Using multiple scare tactics together works best to outsmart stubborn deer.
With an understanding of deer behavior and persistence using fencing, repellents, and scare tactics, you can enjoy beautiful, deer-free mums this fall. Visit websites like deerbusters.com and almanac.com for more deer deterrent tips and products for gardens and landscapes.
Choosing Deer-Resistant Mums
When selecting mums for the garden, it’s important to choose varieties that are less likely to be eaten by deer. Here are some tips for choosing deer-resistant mums:
Select Less Palatable Varieties
Some mum varieties are simply less tasty to deer. Double-flowered mums like the ‘Minnautumn’ series and cushion mums tend to be passed over. Deer also seem to dislike mums with very small or dense foliage like the Button and Pompon types.
Focus on Fragrance
Deer have an excellent sense of smell. Choosing fragrant mums can help mask the scent of the plant and deter deer. Some good fragrant varieties include ‘Ruby Mound’ and ‘Radiant Ruby’.
Use Deer-Resistant Cultivars
Certain mum cultivars have been bred to be more deer-tolerant. Good options include:
- ‘Mammoth Red Daisy’ – Large, bright red double blooms.
- ‘Venice’ – Vibrant violet-red color.
- ‘Brennan Orange’ – Bright orange with a button center.
- ‘Garnet’ – Deep maroon red blooms.
Choose Less Nutritious Varieties
Deer gravitate toward plants that are highly nutritious. Selecting mums that are lower in nutrients can discourage grazing. Some varieties to look for include:
- ‘Mei-kyo’ – Low in nutrients with unique spoon-shaped petals.
- ‘Sheffield Pink’ – Pastel pink flowers with sparse foliage.
- ‘Clara Curtis’ – Popular white daisy mum.
Use Strategic Placement
Where you locate the mums in your landscape can also deter deer. Placing mums closer to the house and away from wooded edges or deer trails can limit access. Mass plantings of deer-resistant mums are also harder for deer to decimate.
While no mum is completely deer-proof, choosing less palatable varieties and using strategic placement can reduce damage. Always check with local garden centers or Master Gardeners to get recommendations for deer-resistant mums in your specific area.
Conclusion
While deer will eat chrysanthemums if hungry enough, mums are not their favorite cuisine. By understanding deer behavior and taking deterrent measures, you can minimize damage to your mum plants.
Install fencing, apply repellents, and opt for less appetizing varieties to keep deer focused on tastier treats. Your flowering mums will thank you!
