Do Deer Eat Rhodies? (grass, back yard, fencing, south)

[need4speed2012]

FDA Poisonous Plant Database

[PAhippo]

I think it depends on how much other food is available.

Mine made it until February.

[luv4horses]

With that kind of a 'collection', have you considered gathering them together in a small grid then tossing a fruit netting over the top? The netting I refer to is very light weight, black, nylon(?), and is used on small fruit trees or bushes to keep birds away from the fruits. But it should work for deer as well in your situation.

[LIcenter]

Plant a pathway full of deer salad (Hosta). Never once have they touched my Rhodie, but the hosta never makes it a full year in my front yard. I can hear them licking their chops as soon as spring arrives. ;-)

[Linda_d]

Originally Posted by no kudzu

Mattie Dearest. I speak from experience . I have used Irish Spring, Dial, human hair, human and coyote urine, rotten eggs, motion detectors with spray from the hose, and everything else known to mankind which is supposed to deter deer. NONE WORKED.

OP azalea and rhodie are same family and I've lost both to deer but we all know some herds have different tastes than other herds. A simple solution would be to buy some bird netting to toss over them until you can get them where they will be protected.

Deer are going to eat what they want, especially when they're hungry. I have seen deer eat rhodies, but luckily for me, they don't eat mine. They apparently prefer my tulips -- buds, stems, and leaves -- so I haven't had a tulip bloom in my front yard in about 5 years ... and I likely won't again as I've stopped planting them.

[no kudzu]

But usually they don't eat daffodils. I naturalized about 200 daffs right at the edge of the woods and they haven't bothered them.

[kinkytoes]

Originally Posted by Neosec

Yes, but not PJM rhododendron.

That's good to know. Also deer eat my rhodies.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by LIcenter

Plant a pathway full of deer salad (Hosta). Never once have they touched my Rhodie, but the hosta never makes it a full year in my front yard. I can hear them licking their chops as soon as spring arrives. ;-)

LOL!
I have around 25 varieties of hosta, and DH used to call it the salad bar. I am glad I figured out how to keep the deer away, as I LOVE hosta and they do well in out clay soil.

[cdelena]

It seems they will try any fresh tender growth and then really strip the plants they like and are easy to feed on.

[southernnaturelover]

Here in the South, they seem to love the native deciduous azaleas, however they seldom touch the evergreen Indica hybrids.