You want your yard to look as nice as it can, which is why people plant various flowers to help it look pretty and inviting.
It’s a bit annoying when you plant flowers only to find out that animals are messing them up. Sometimes you have to worry about standard animals such as squirrels and other rodents, but you might have deer eating your plants, too.
If you know that you have deer visiting your property, you’re likely looking for flower and plant options that they won’t touch. Are begonias a deer-resistant option that you should be considering?
Read on to learn whether begonias are good to plant when you’re concerned about deer on your property. You’ll also learn about common ways that you can protect your plants from these animals.
Some Begonias Are Deer-Resistant
Some begonias are considered to be deer-resistant. This is because they have qualities that make them unappealing to deer.
You should keep in mind that a very hungry deer might choose to eat these begonias anyway. Deer-resistant doesn’t truly mean “deer-proof” in this situation.
Regardless, if you plant certain types of begonias in your yard, it’s going to be pretty unlikely that the local deer will eat them. They’ll probably be far more interested in other plants.
Just be sure to pick out the right types of begonias so that you’ll get good results. Below, you’ll find some of the begonias that you can plant that the deer shouldn’t enjoy.
Which Begonias Should You Plant?
Hardy begonias are a great option for those who live in the southern portions of the United States. These begonias look really nice, and they’re even frost-tolerant through USDA hardiness zone 9.
Dragon wing begonias are another good option to consider. They can grow in either sun or shade, and deer don’t seem to like them very much.
Rex begonias are an option, but they don’t grow flowers. These begonias do have foliage that looks quite nice, though.
Tuberose begonias produce colorful flowers and will look great in your garden. Many people choose to place these in hanging containers.
Wax begonias are among the most common types that people plant when they’re worried about deer. They’re hardy and they flower continuously.
If you choose any of the begonias above, you’ll likely have few issues with deer eating them. It can still happen, but the deer in your area will likely have better options for food, which will cause them to leave your plants alone.
Keeping Deer Away From the Begonias
Of course, there are situations where the deer in the area just won’t cooperate. What if you plant begonias and the deer start snacking on them?
Well, there are ways that you can protect your plants from deer. You’ll just have to take a few precautions that should keep the deer away from your yard.
Fences
Fences can make a difference because it makes eating the plants inconvenient for the deer. A deer is going to be less likely to go and eat your flowers or other plants if it has to contend with fences.
Deer can indeed jump fences, but they might not want to. There are a few things that you can do to turn fences into a good deterrent.
Keep them around your garden area and try to make them tall enough so that the deer won’t be able to see what is on the other side. A deer won’t want to jump a fence if it has no idea what’s on the other side since it could get hurt or attacked.
It’s also best to use solid fencing made out of wood instead of mesh fencing or other fences that the deer can see through. Making a fence to protect your plants will likely be well worth the effort.
Deer Repellent Sprays
There are various deer repellent sprays on the market that can help you to keep them from eating your begonias. Many scents are capable of scaring deer away, and this is the basic premise behind most animal repellents.
Buy deer repellent that utilizes ingredients such as predator urine. The deer will smell the repellent and they will think that it’s dangerous to get too close to your plants.
It shouldn’t be that expensive to get what you need. You can buy deer repellent from various department stores, but it might be easier to order it online depending on where you live.
You can also try letting your dog pee near the fence to see if it scares the deer away. Dogs are predator animals, and their urine should make the deer wary.
Technically, human urine would work just fine, too. Deer will be scared of human scents and they generally won’t want to get too close.
You could try using dog fur or human hair clippings near the garden. Sprinkle some hair or fur nearby and it might help to deter the deer from entering the area for a little while.
Ultrasonic Repellent Devices
Ultrasonic repellent devices are another option that people like to use. These are devices that you can stake into the ground to protect parts of your yard from animals.
They produce sounds that animals don’t like, but humans aren’t able to hear them. You could stake one of these devices that are designed to scare deer near your begonias.
It should work pretty well to keep deer from wanting to get too close. Best of all, these devices are typically solar-powered for your convenience.
So long as you place the device somewhere that will allow it to get sunlight, it’s going to keep working. This is a pretty good option that shouldn’t cost a ton of money.
Plant the Begonias Close to Your House
Deer are smart enough that they will try to stay away from human houses. They know that people are dangerous, and they aren’t likely going to want to get too close to your home.
This means that you could try to keep your garden close to your house instead of placing it out in a field. You might not find this to be ideal depending on your situation, but it’s true that the plants will be much safer from the deer this way.
Planting begonias right up next to your house will make it very unlikely that any deer will try to eat them. They’d need to get way too close to your house to be able to get the opportunity.
Average house noises and the presence of humans will generally scare deer too much for them to take a chance such as that. Consider whether planting your begonias in a safer location is the solution that you need.
Final Thoughts
You now know a lot more about begonias and whether deer will try to eat them or not. Many begonias are considered to be deer-resistant because they have qualities that make them unappealing to deer.
Even if a deer is unlikely to eat your begonias due to it not being a great meal for them, it’s not as if they won’t eat them if they’re desperate. When food is scarce in an area, the local deer will still eat begonias.
For this reason, it’s good to use the deterrent advice above. You can try to keep deer out of your yard by using deer repellent, fences, and ultrasonic repellent devices.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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