All garden owners have one common thing they fear: hungry deer!
When the weather is cold and the food is scarce, deers will often look for alternative places to get food. These places often include your own garden, so you might want to start recollecting what plants you have out there and learn whether they’re deer-resistant.
For example, are yucca plants deer resistant? As much as I hate to tell you this, no, they’re not.
Let’s explore the matter and see what you can do to protect your yucca from deer.
Are Yucca Plants Deer Resistant?
Deer-resistant plants are defined as plants that deer will ignore if they’re hungry and looking for food. That may be because of an odd texture, a strong fragrance, or simply a bad taste.
Unfortunately, yucca plants don’t make the list. They’re often avoided by animals because they have thorny leaves and poisonous effects that cause animals to get sick. However, deer are often attracted to the flowers, not the leaves, so they don’t avoid the plant like other animals do.
In fact, some yucca variants, like red yucca, are sought-after by deer because of their bright colors.
How to Protect Your Yucca Plants From Hungry Deer
Deer, like all animals, are unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep them away from your plants. There are some measures you can take to make sure they stay out. Here’s a roundup:
1 – Put Up a Fence
People often underestimate how useful a fence can be for deterring deer. In fact, it may be the only solution that’s 100% guaranteed to work because it prevents deer from coming into your garden.
The thing is, most gardeners will build a 6-foot tall fence and call it day. However, a deer can jump over an 8-foot tall fence, so you’ll have to make it taller than that if you want to see results.
You can also use invisible netting fastened to garden posts to keep the deer out without compromising your garden’s beauty.
If you’re afraid the deer will run through it, you can decorate it with colorful strings.
2 – Use Deer Repellents
Deer repellents are an excellent way to protect your plants, but you have to use them consistently for them to show results. If you tend to use them once and wait for the deer to go away, you’re in for a surprise.
For the best results, apply the repellent weekly on plants that aren’t deer-resistant. Eventually, deer will stop coming around.
3 – Install Motion-Activated Sprinklers
Suburban deer aren’t easily scared because they’re used to being around human-populated areas. The only way to scare them away would be to use motion-activated sprinklers. When triggered, these devices let out a sharp water stream toward the direction of the deer, scaring them away.
Other Plants That Are Deer-Resistant
Gardeners always say that the first line of defense you have against deer is your choice of plants. If your garden is full of deer-resistant plants, you’ll have no problems with hungry deer. Here are a couple of plants you can grow in your garden if you’re afraid of deer:
Coneflower
Coneflowers are colorful and lively, but they’re not favored by deer because they have a spiny center with an odd texture. On top of that, they emit a strong aroma, which deters deer and keeps them away.
Daffodils
Daffodils are among the best flowers you can grow if you’re afraid of deer and rabbits eating your plants. Animals generally don’t go after them because they have milky sap, so they’re not considered a delicious meal.
Lavender
Although lavender is widely known for its soft, relaxing aroma, deer don’t agree. In fact, deer hate lavender’s scent and try to avoid touching the plant at all costs. So, you can grow some lavenders and use them to deter deer. They’ll protect your other plants because they’ll repel the animals.
Final Thoughts
So, are yucca plants deer resistant? Not exactly. Deer will eat yucca plants if they find them in their way, although animals usually avoid these plants because of their thorny leaves.
The deer won’t eat the leaves, but they’ll munch on the colorful flowers and edible fruits of the plant.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.