The astilbe plant is such a colorful addition to every garden. It has white, pink, red, and lavender color flowers that vary from plant to plant. If you grow these four different versions of the astilbe, you will love your garden in summer when you find a colorful garden.
Besides the color, this plant also has sharp and smelly flowers inedible to wildest animals. If you’re worried about the animal or aphid-resistant plants, you should consider growing the astilbe.
Do deer eat astilbe?
Deer don’t eat astilbe because of the taste and smell. If you offer some astilbe flowers or leaves to your pet deer or rabbit, they will refuse to eat. One of the main reasons is the bitter taste. You know that deer and other wild animals cannot digest the unpleasant leaves or sharp flowers.
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Here, the flowers and leaves of the astilbe are deer-proof. They don’t need anything to deter the deer except the taste. That means the deer might come and taste a few of the astilbe flowers and will go away.
In the meantime, the deer will get the real taste of these plants and won’t come again.
The above scenario will tell you that the astilbe is not a 100% deer-proof plant. You need to protect it from deer and other insects. If you keep the astilbe open and rely on their bitter taste and sharp flowers, the hungry deer might eat your astilbe flowers.
It will happen if the deer don’t find anything suitable to eat.
So, your job is to repel the deer from the surroundings by following some best ways. You can consider using the deer-resistant smell or pest controller. They will give you the instant solution against the deer.
But to get the organic answer, you need to rely on your home ingredients and fence.
Since astilbe has two parts: one is astilbe plants itself, and the other part of astilbe flowers. Now the question arises, do the deer eat them too? You will find your answer here.
Astilbe flowers:
Deer don’t eat astilbe flowers because of the bitter taste and weird smell. These flowers are not like regular flowers that have a natural smell. Instead, they have a strong smell that can ruin the deer and rabbit stomachs.
If you have any concerns regarding the deer-resistant flowers, you can plant the astilbe flowers.
They are entirely deer-proof since the deer avoid these flowers and go for their desired foods. If they don’t eat the food and remain hungry, they might damage the garden and eat some astilbe flowers.
Astilbe Plants:
Like the astilbe flowers, the deer don’t eat the astilbe plants. That’s why people consider the astilbe as the deer-resistant plant that grows better in part-shadowy areas.
If you have a specific place in the field but cannot find the perfect deer-resistant plants to grow, you can consider planting astilbe.
They will resist the deer and won’t allow them to go inside the garden. These plants will repel the deer through their sharp look and bitter taste.
Deer know that they cannot eat the astilbe plants, so they keep away from the astilbe area and search for their foods elsewhere.
Are astilbe deer resistant or deer-proof?
Astilbe plants are deer-resistant, not exactly deer-proof. If you read the previous section, you will know that the astilbe is truly a deer-resistant plant. But deer can eat these plants and flowers if they don’t find anything else to eat.
Considering this factor, you cannot say that the astilbe is deer-proof.
We can only say a plant is 100% deer-proof when the deer won’t eat that plant while they are starving. If we look at the mint or other medicinal flowery plants, we can say they are deer-proof plants. But we don’t find this feature when it comes to the astilbe.
If the deer fail to get other suitable foods, they will devour the astilbe. Otherwise, they will avoid this plant and search for their well-suited and easy-to-digest food like the grass and the flower leaves that don’t have a strong smell.
Since astilbe plants have different versions, including pink, white, and Chinensis, you should know if they are deer-resistant or deer-proof. If you find them deer-proof, you don’t need to wait for anything else.
You don’t even need to use the repellent; you can plant them and leave them open.
Pink astilbe:
The pink astilbe plants are deer-resistant and partially deer-proof. If you plant the pink astilbe, they will grow and bloom with leaves and flowers. The smell and the taste of these pink flowers are not favorable to the deer.
Therefore, the deer keep away from these pink astilbe plants.
White astilbe:
The same goes for the white astilbe. You can consider the white astilbe as the deer-resistant plants, but you can’t count them as the deer-proof. It will be a big mistake since the deer will devour these plants if they starve for a while.
Typically, the deer don’t eat the white astilbe because of the bitter taste and smell.
Astilbe Chinensis:
If you have a small garden and look for beautiful ornamental trees, astilbe Chinensis would be a good fit. It has all the beauty to fit in your small garden. It has a beautiful color, lots of flowers, and blooms like giant flower trees.
But the size is compact compared to other astilbe plants.
However, the astilbe Chinensis is a deer-resistant and deer-proof plant. It can easily deter deer and other animals from the surroundings with its sharp look and smell.
If you leave them outside the garden, the deer won’t eat them; instead, they will avoid these flowers.
Do deer like astilbe plants?
Deer don’t like the astilbe plants because of the bitter taste and sharp look. Generally, deer are a cute wild animal that loves to eat different small plants and soft leaves. They avoid any sharp and strong smelly flowers due to their weak digestive system.
So, the deer can’t eat the astilbe plants and don’t even try to eat some flowers unless they become hungry and can’t find their food. In that starving situation, some deer might eat some portion of the astilbe flowers, but not all.
How to keep deer from eating astilbe plants?
You can follow our tips to keep deer from eating astilbe plants. They are:
Scram Blend:
Scram mixtures are made out of purely natural components, and they are designed to mimic odors that are repulsive to animals so that they will avoid them. Even though it may seem revolting, the scent is not particularly strong to a human nose.
After application, there is no need to wait before walking on your lawn because it is entirely safe. Use the scoop provided to spread the Scram blend that you are using in a line around the outside of the plants you want to protect.
Organic Deterrents:
There is also the possibility of using organic repellents. As unappealing as the items on this list may sound, numerous implementations have been attempted, with varying degrees of success.
Deer can be deterred by unpleasant aroma or smells that are connected with danger. A persistent deer is likely to become acclimated to these and resume feeding, just as they would with many of the mechanical devices designed to prevent deer.
Sound:
Because of their enormous ears and acute hearing, deer are easily startled by even the slightest noises. Their ears are an essential part of their defense against potential threats.
Therefore, even quiet noises that are unexpected or strange can terrify them. A sudden action or sound, especially if it is brand new or unfamiliar, is a clue that there is a potential threat and that you need to run.
However, deer are pretty perceptive and pick up on patterns very fast. They will stop being terrified of the motion or sound if you keep using the same product repeatedly since they will become accustomed to it.
Variation:
Rotation is especially crucial since deer can quickly become accustomed to them if their location does not change. Use your imagination because you can use almost anything that flits around and moves somehow.
You may enjoy stringing up old CDs. You can also choose from various mechanical products to purchase. Relocate them to other areas of your garden every few days.
Motion-Detected Flashlight:
A motion-activated light is another tactic that you can find helpful in this situation. Because it contains a timer, it will automatically switch off after a few minutes have passed.
Because it is fueled by solar energy, there is no requirement for an electrical cord.
Final thoughts
Since the astilbe plants contain an intense look and smell, they are primarily deer-resistant plants. Deer don’t eat the astilbe and can’t digest them properly. If they are starving and find the astilbe nearby, they will go for it. So, you need to protect these plants from the deer.