Why Deer Love Hostas, Begonias, and Other Garden Favorites

Here’s the frustrating part of all this: some of the plants deer love most are the exact plants gardeners love most. A lot of the favorites that fly off the benches every spring are, to a deer, basically candy.

The most-browsed plants tend to share the same qualities:

• ✓ Soft tissue that’s easy to chew
• ✓ High water content
• ✓ Tender new growth
• ✓ Little in the way of chemical or textural protection

• ✓ Hosta
• ✓ Daylilies
• ✓ Roses
• ✓ Tulips
• ✓ Impatiens
• ✓ Begonias
• ✓ Dahlia blooms
• ✓ Portulaca (moss rose)

Begonia foliage is soft, tender, and easy to chew, and the stems are full of moisture. They’re about the opposite of a tough, crystal-laden plant like Alocasia — which is exactly why deer reach for one and skip the other.

Portulaca makes the list for a slightly different reason. Its low, succulent foliage is full of stored water, and in a dry spell that moisture is exactly what a thirsty deer is hunting for — so don’t assume a tough little moss rose is automatically safe.

Many of the plants we love most are appealing for the very same reasons deer love them: soft, lush, and full of water. That doesn’t mean you can’t grow them — it means you grow them with a plan. Tuck them into protected spots, pair them with deterrents, and don’t leave your hostas sitting unguarded at the wood’s edge.

Reference: Purdue University Extension · Rutgers NJAES landscape deer-resistance ratings · Schlegel Greenhouse production notes