If you live near a forest, you might be familiar with visits from wild animals to your yard. And there isn’t a worse feeling than waking up in the morning and seeing some of the plants you pay so much care to grow destroyed. Adding plant that won’t tempt deer hunger is one step in trying to prevent them from visiting your garden. But are magnolias deer resistant?
And while deer might look cute from a distance if you have a yard, you should be concerned about them visiting your garden. After all, these mammals can cause severe damage to the plants you carefully grow.
And because they won’t venture outside forests unless hungry (and with no other option), you can expect them to destroy your beloved plants if they get to enter your property,
And what else can you do to avoid deer munching on these gorgeous plants’ tasty leaves and blooms? You have landed in the right place to find out!
Are Magnolias Deer Resistant?
The truth is that defining a plant as “deer-resistant” can be challenging. After all, these mammals will feed on everything that crosses their path if hungry enough. Of course, as with all animals, deer have preferences. If they could choose, they would eat certain plants over others.
Luckily, magnolias are not among deer’s favorite options. For most, the scent they release are too strong and contribute to repelling deer. But that doesn’t mean they are safe from attacks from these animals.
Of course, just like every human might have different tastes in food, individual deer also differ in terms of what they like to eat. But, if these mammals are hungry enough, they usually won’t think twice about feeding on these trees’ tender leaves!
Also, they love eating young tree bark because it is often easier to chew than other parts. And this poses newly planted magnolias a higher risk.
But that doesn’t mean you should let this stop you from planting these gorgeous trees in your yard. Instead, you can take a couple of preventive measures to avoid deer ruining your garden. Keep reading to find out how to keep these mammals away from your magnolias!
How to Prevent Deer From Visiting Your Yard
You’ll know deer visited our garden when you notice hoofprints, trampled flowers, shrubs or plants, and torn tree leaves.
Don’t forget that deer have small teeth and large palates that allow them to break plants apart and leave jagged edges as proof of their activity.
Use Repellents
If that happens to you, the first thing you should try to prevent these mammals from ruining your garden is to purchase commercial repellents or make some at home using natural ingredients.
You can find products that resemble the scent of deer predators’ urine that keep these mammals at bay. Those owning dogs might not need to do so: their smell will scare deer from your property.
Additionally, the human’s best friend will most likely bark if he notices unusual activity, which might help you intervene and protect your garden from deer.
You can also make your repellent using vinegar or rotten eggs. Keep in mind that these methods might take some time to work.
Also, you will have to reapply them continuously. And it might take you a while before you learn which works best for your garden.
Consider planting Herbs
Also, deer tend not to love strong fragrances. If you can, consider planting perennial herbs around the borders of your property to keep these animals from visiting your garden.
Besides protecting your garden from deer, herbs will provide you with the added benefit of giving you spices you can use in the kitchen to increase the taste of your meals.
Install a Fence
Of course, fencing will help too. But don’t forget to ensure you install something tall enough: deer can jump high.
Also, you may want to add prickly and thorny bushes around them to make the area even more uncomfortable for deer and prevent them from trying to enter your property.
Purchase Sensors a
If no other method seems to work, consider adding sensors. These products might be more expensive than others we listed in this guide but will produce sounds that will effectively keep deer and other mammals away from your garden.
You can also find motion detectors that can scare deer away once they cross your garden by shedding light on them.
Are Magnolias Deer Resistant?: Conclusion
Deer may eat magnolia trees, but the above solutions will help you keep deer out of your garden. There are many other plants deer will eat, including lilac bushes.
Related Article: Do Deer Like Lobelia?