Zinnias are a popular wildflower for colorful bouquets. They also grow rather easily without a lot of work, making them a great choice for a low maintenance flower with many color options. We love to plant a variety of zinnias and they always make the most gorgeous bouquets. For most people with the space to grow zinnias, deer are a major concern, but do deer eat zinnias?
Deer do not eat zinnias and do not like them at all! Zinnias are one of the most deer resistant flowers and are the perfect choice for areas with higher deer populations. Whether you are growing zinnias in small amounts for your own pleasure in your yard or in large plots on a flower farm, they will be the least of your worries when it comes to deer.
Will Zinnias keep deer away from other flowers?
While deer will not eat zinnias, that does not mean they are deer repellent. If you plant a flower that deer will eat, they will avoid the zinnias and simply eat around them. For example, if you plant sunflowers, which are a favorite of deer, they will be happy to eat around the zinnias and devour all your beautiful sunflowers.
You will still need to use all of your usual methods to try and keep the deer away from the flowers that they love most. Zinnias however can be planted in plots out in the open and left to grow without worry.
Why Do Deer Not Eat Zinnias?
Deer simply do not like the taste of zinnias. If you grow a new plot of zinnia flowers and notice that the deer have a few nibbles, it may simply be because there is a new plant and they are sampling it. After they have a small taste, however, they will not be coming back for more.
Deer also have a prickly center which may be another major reason why deer avoid them. Similar to how we would not eat certain parts of fruit and vegetables due to the texture.
Other Deer Resistant Flowers
If you live in an area with a higher deer population, but still want to be able to grow beautiful, colorful flowers, finding deer resistant option is the key to success. If you want flowers that you don’t have to try all kinds of tricks to keep the deer away, you should try the following types of flowers:
- Lilies of the Valley
- Bleeding Hearts
- Larkspur
- Marigold
- Poppies
- African Lilies
While there are other options for deer resistant flowers, zinnias are one of our favorites because they are so low maintenance and make great cut flowers. They also provide a wide variety of colors that make them a winner all around.
If you are looking for other plants that are highly deer resistant, check out our article: Do Deer Eat Elephant Ear Plants?
What Maintenance Do Zinnias Require?
Zinnias are a favorite flower to grow because they are rather low maintenance, drought tolerant, and help to shade out weeds. Sow zinnia seeds into the ground in the Spring after the last frost and you will have blooms by June. Their quick growth and bloom time helps to keep weeds at a minimum.
Zinnias are very heat and drought tolerant so they are a perfect summer flower. You will just need to make sure that the soil has good drainage and provide an occasional well-balanced fertilizer is enough to produce beautiful blooms.
Deadheading is a great way to promote new growth, but if you are growing zinnias for cut flowers, this will also help to promote new growth of the plant. It will also keep your blooms coming back for most of the summer into early Fall.
If you don’t have a lot of time and effort to spend on your flower garden, then zinnias are a great, colorful option!