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The Daily Insight

Do deer eat impatiens flowers

Author

Andrew Campbell

Published Feb 16, 2026

Deer often target impatiens (Impatiens spp.), and they have been known to cause severe damage to these beautiful flowering annuals. … Plant flowers that deer tend to dislike near the impatiens such as the annual floss flower (Ageratum houstonianum) or the herb mint (Mentha spp., USDA zones 4 to 9).

What animal ate my impatiens?

Unfortunately, deer aren’t the only animals that eat impatiens. There are several other types of hungry critters that may decide to snack on your plants. Knowing what they are and how to protect your impatiens from them is critical. Rabbits, opossums, and insects are all potential threats to your flowers.

What animal eats impatiens flowers?

Impatiens, visually popular garden flowers, sometimes become food for rabbits, which can ruin a season’s worth of hard work in just a few minutes. Impatiens are known as rabbit-resistant plants, but rabbits nevertheless sometimes eat the delicate flowers’ petals and leaves.

What could be eating my impatiens flowers?

Pest on Impatiens There are many pests that can affect impatiens flowers. Spider mites, mealybugs, aphids, and thrips are common and usually result in curled, distorted, or discolored leaves. Thrips will generally attack the flowers/buds of plants and may carry a virus that affects these annuals.

What flowers keep deer away?

Daffodils, foxgloves, and poppies are common flowers with a toxicity that deer avoid. Deer also tend to turn their noses up at fragrant plants with strong scents. Herbs such as sages, ornamental salvias, and lavender, as well as flowers like peonies and bearded irises, are just “stinky” to deer.

How do you keep animals from eating impatiens?

  1. Apply a light layer of blood meal or bone meal mixed with equal parts black pepper around the impatiens.
  2. Scatter cotton balls dipped in white vinegar around the flowers to act as a deterrent.

What annual flowers do deer not like?

Heat-loving annuals that deer tend to ignore include lantana, Cosmos sulphureus, angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia) and summer snapdragon (Angelonia). Plants with milky sap, like Diamond Frost-type euphorbia (Euphorbia graminea), are ones deer dislike, as are annuals with strong odors, like marigolds.

Do moles eat impatiens?

If you confuse what damage moles versus voles do in yards, remembering is easy – voles are vegetarians that eat plant roots while moles are carnivores that hunt earthworms, snails, slugs and insects. … “We lost five hosta plants this spring,” Jim says. “And they love impatiens.”

Do squirrels eat impatiens plants?

Impatiens (Impatiens spp.) are one of the most popular bedding plants around — the colorful flowers grow well in the shade — but they are not bulb plants, and they are not a favorite food of squirrels.

Do deer eat vincas?

Vinca, Perennial Plant Features Perennial vinca is a ground hugger that grows just 6 to 8 inches tall so use it to carpet wooded locations or slopes. It’s also a great companion for spring-blooming bulbs and perennials. And best of all, vinca is rabbit and deer resistant. Hardy from zones 4-8.

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Do deer eat dianthus flowers?

Pinks (Dianthus plumarius) multiply easily and are deer resistant. The fragrant blossoms come in many colors and make excellent cut flowers.

What is digging up my impatiens?

Impatiens resist major pest infestations but occasionally slugs and black vine weevils chew on the leaves. … Aphids, thrips and other sap-sucking insects also affect impatiens sucking juice from inside the leaves.

What do deer hate the most?

Deer have a heightened sense of smell, which they use to effectively find food. You can take advantage of this trait and repel deer by using smells they dislike, such as marigolds, putrescent egg solids, mint, wolf urine, tansy, garlic, thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, and lavender.

Do coffee grounds keep deer away?

Deer have a strong sense of smell, which they use to find accessible food sources. While there is no scientific evidence that coffee grounds will deter deer, the bitter smell of spent coffee grounds may signal to deer that humans are nearby and keep them away from your property.

Do deer like geraniums?

Geraniums are not a deer’s flower of choice, but they will eat them under a number of circumstances. The strong fragrance and slightly fuzzy texture will typically deter deer, but not always.

Do deer and rabbits eat impatiens?

Deer often target impatiens (Impatiens spp.), and they have been known to cause severe damage to these beautiful flowering annuals. … Deer rely heavily on their sense of smell, so adding pungent plants will help deter them.

What is eating my hostas and impatiens?

Essentially when bugs are eating hostas, slugs or snails are usually to blame. These nighttime foragers are probably considered the most common of hosta pests, eating small holes in the leaves. Silvery colored slime or snail trail throughout the garden area is a good indication of their presence.

What is killing my impatiens?

Impatiens Downy Mildew is a new disease in home gardens that kills garden impatiens. The first signs of this disease are leaves that are slightly yellow or off color (not to be confused with lack of fertilizer). Next, the undersides of the leaves will have white-colored powdery-like spores.

Do deer eat azaleas?

Azaleas are a favorite snack of deer, and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in particular. In fact, evergreen azaleas are rated as “frequently severely damaged” by deer, according to Rutgers University. Deciduous azaleas are apparently slightly less delicious.

Will deer eat hydrangeas?

If hungry enough, deer will eat just about any plant. However, there are plants that deer prefer more than others. According to Rutgers University, most hydrangeas are “occasionally severely damaged”. Which means that deer prefer other plants more, but when hungry deer will eat hydrangeas.

Do marigolds deter deer?

All varieties of marigolds are a turnoff for deer because of their strong, pungent scent. However, signet marigolds (pictured) have a lighter citrusy smell and flavor, making them popular for culinary use.

Do deer eat zinnias?

Deer can eat zinnia flowers if they cannot find other palatable sources. They will also nibble on those flowers on occasion when scouting. To ensure deer do not cause damage to your treasured flowers, use deer deterrents like repellents to keep them out.

Are Petunia deer resistant?

Unfortunately, petunias are not deer resistant. As with any other succulent, deer will spot your petunias and immediately choose to devour them.

Do deer eat pansies?

If you have planted pansies or violas for winter color beware of deer eating them. These beautiful annuals produce flowers that are edible and deer love to eat them. … After a few attempts to eat the plants, deer often decide not to come back.

Do you have to deadhead impatiens flowers?

Impatiens flowers do best if fertilized regularly. … Impatiens do not need to be deadheaded. They self-clean their spent blooms and will bloom profusely all season long.

Do earwigs eat impatiens?

What critter or insect could be eating the impatiens in my window boxes? They are chewed off at soil level. A. Earwigs can inflict this type of damage to plants in containers and window boxes as well as those in garden beds.

Do squirrels eat perennials?

Squirrels don’t mind the taste, but they prefer eating other flowers, making them an option to eat if they don’t have access to anything else. Irises are perennials that belong to the Iridaceae family. There are over 250 species and many people are drawn to these plants because they are easy to grow.

What plants will Chipmunks not eat?

  • Plants that Repel Chipmunks: Planting Method.
  • Planting Location for Plants that Deter Chipmunks.
  • Alternatives to Chipmunk Repellent Plants.
  • French Marigold (Tagetes patula)
  • Daffodil (Narcissus)
  • Onion (Allium cepa) – An Edible Chipmunk Repellent Plant.
  • Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum)

Do Voles eat Liriope roots?

Voles are vegetarians and will eat the roots of prized plants in the landscape. 12″ wide or wider hardware cloth can be used as a barrier around plants, digging and planting the mesh beyond the depth of the roots.

Do deer eat Pentas?

Pentas are classified as deer-resistant; that means that they are among those plants that deer won’t eat unless they get very desperate, as sometimes happens by winter’s end. North Carolina State University classifies pentas as seldom damaged by deer, plants that deer will not eat unless all other options are gone.

Will deer eat begonias?

Begonia. Not all begonias are deer-resistant, but those with fuzzy stems/leaves or waxy/leathery leaves tend to be. Begonias have rhizomatous or tuberous stems and tremendous species and cultivar diversity, both in numbers (1,800 species worldwide) and in plant form.