Deer Resistant Bulbs

Planting deer resistant bulbsand plants can help prevent this scenario-

After spending a lot of time, effort and money planting many bulbs in the fall, you dream of "tiptoeing through the Tulips" in the Spring. In the waning weeks of the bark-eating winter months, deer are now starving and mothers are trying to rear their young. They are in constant search of green plants. How convenient it is for them to just walk through the yard and eat to their heart’s content? How crushed you feel when you stand where you bulbs were planted and they are completely gone!

A few tips and points to remember are that along with deer resistant bulbs and plants, physical barriers might be required like fencing, smell or taste repellants, barking dogs, or motion detection sprinklers.

Unfortunately, no plant is absolutely safe from destruction; however, more resistant species of plants that make them less tasty to the deer. When you shop for deer resistant plants, look for sharp, prickly, or fuzzy foliage or stems. Plants that have a smelly fragrance are not popular with deer. Spring bulbs are available that you can plant that deer do not particularly like. These are some of the recommended plants:

BULB   TYPE	COLOR	VARIETIES	DETAILS
Allium	Purples, whites, yellows	Many	Blooms late spring/summer, 2-60” in height, flowers are 1”-4” in diameter
Anemone	Pastel pink, red, blue, lavender and white	Poppy Anemone, Wood Anemone	Blooms early spring, 6-8” in height.
Camassia	Blues and whites	Camas, Indian hyacinth, Wild hyacinth.	Blooms late spring, 12-50” in height.
Crocus	Purple, yellow, white and striped	Many	Blooms early spring, 4-6”, good naturalizer, can be planted in the lawn.
Fritillaria	checkered reddish-brown, purple, white and gray	Snakes head Lily	Blooms mid-late spring, 6-15” in height.
Galanthus	White w/green tips	Common Snowdrop	Blooms earliest, even before crocus, grows thru the snow, 6-12” in height
Hyacinth	Pinks, blues, purples, yellow, orange, white	Many	Blooms mid-spring, 6-12” in height
Iris	Blues, purples, yellow, and bicolor	Many	Blooms early spring, 24-36” in height.
Leucojum	White with green spots	Spring Snowflake	Blooms late spring, 6-14” in height.
Muscari	Blue, purple and white	Grape hyacinth	Blooms mid-spring, 12-24” in height.
Scilla	Blue and white	Siberian Squill	Blooms mid-late spring, 5-8” in height.

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