Are you seeing all the beautiful dahlia tubers available and wondering, are dahlias deer resistant? I get it. I’m downright obsessed with my cutting garden. And living in a remote area of the Colorado mountains, deer are a constant presence.
I love seeing them, but I also don’t want them devouring my garden!
Table of Contents
Are Dahlias Deer Resistant?
The short answer: Deer don’t generally eat dahlias. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say that dahlias are deer resistant. And here’s why.
After several years gardening in an area with heavy deer pressure, I will say that dahlias aren’t a first choice. But a hungry deer will munch on just about anything.
We have a large half acre garden. It’s filled with all sorts of veggies including lettuces, kale, beets, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, squash, herbs, and more. We also have a substantial flower garden that is filled with bee balm, snapdragons, sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, and, of course, dahlias (my current fave is the Sweet Nathalie Dahlia!). We love this star of a flower arrangement and have been increasing our stock sprouting dahlia tubers, taking cuttings, and planting more every spring.
Normally our garden is protected by a tall fence (as you can see in this photo). But at the end of this season, a portion of the fence was knocked down. Pair that with our Colorado Mountain Dogs needing to be corralled (protecting the chickens) away from the garden, plus us being away from the homestead on a camping trip. And, well, the deer had a bit of a feast.
It seemed their top favorite flower is sunflowers, followed by amaranth and zinnia buds. They loved most every vegetable and, not surprisingly, really mowed down the lettuce and kale.
I can’t blame them, it is quite delicious.
It wasn’t until all these flowers and veggies had been eaten, that the deer finally turned towards the dahlias.
So while in my growing experience, dahlias are not a deer’s first choice. Once all the other yumminess has been devoured (or protected!), the deer will start eating dahlias.
But there is hope. Despite a snafu this season which lead to some snacking deer, we have found several ways to keep deer out of the garden.
How to Keep Deer from Eating Flowers
It’s true what they say, “the best defense is a good offense.” People are usually talking about sports when they use this phrase. But it’s also true for keeping deer from eating your dahlias.
A Tall Fence
First off, you’re going to need a good fence. Keep in mind that deer have an impressive ability to jump over and through just about anything.
Most people agree that your fence needs to be between 6 to 10 feet tall. We’ve certainly found that to be the case. I’d recommend at least 8 feet tall and a full 10 feet if you have elk in your area.
You can use a variety of materials for fencing. It mostly depends on your aesthetics and budget. Keep in mind that fencing in a large garden can get expensive. This budget-friendly option isn’t the most beautiful, but it works.
A Livestock Guardian Dog
Perhaps even more effective than a fence, is a trained livestock guardian dog.
On top of protecting our chickens, pigs, and children from predators, our two Colorado Mountain Dogs do an excellent job keeping the deer out of our garden.
They do this by patrolling the area and barking or chasing off any unwanted animals. This works great on our off-grid homestead. We don’t have neighbors nearby and without these dogs our livestock was being regularly attacked by bears and mountain lions.
That said, if you live in a more urban area an LGD might not be the right choice. In that case, just be sure that your fence is adequately tall and strong.
FAQ
How do you keep deer from eating dahlias?
To keep deer from eating dahlias you should install a tall fence around your flower bed or garden. Remember that deer can jump incredibly high, so you’ll need a fence that’s 6 to 10 feet tall. For a larger homestead or farm, you may also want to get a livestock guardian dog for further protection.
Do deer eat zinnias and dahlias?
Now you might be wondering, do deer eat zinnias? No, not usually. They are very similar to dahlias. If there is extreme drought or other pressure on deer, they may resort to eating a zinnia, but generally deer do not like to eat zinnias or dahlias.
Do rabbits eat dahlias?
Rabbits can eat dahlias, but they generally don’t. As with deer, dahlias are not their favorite food, but if there are not a lot of other options both rabbits and deer will nibble on dahlias.
What is the most deer resistant flower?
Daffodils, poppies, peonies, and bearded iris are among the most deer resistant flowers. We grow them all around our off-grid homestead and haven’t had any issues with deer eating these flowers.
Conclusion: You Don’t Have to Let Deer Eat Your Dahlias
To wrap it up, are dahlias completely deer resistant? No.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t grow them successfully. We live on 35 acres in a remote part of Colorado. Deer and elk are abundant. But with the proper fence, and help from our Colorado Mountain Dogs, we are successfully growing a field of dahlias.
If we can do it out here, at high-elevation, I have faith you can, too!
