Our new 2 acre flower field in September 2022.

Updated January 29, 2024

One question that plagues gardeners in areas with heavy deer pressure is: Will deer eat dahlias?

The short answer is, probably not. I’ll detail my experience below.

We expanded our business into a second flower farm in 2022, and we weren’t able to get the fence installed until the end of the year. That meant anything we planted was free range for the thriving rural deer population, including our patch of nearly 1,000 dahlias we grew that year.

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Let me be clear. When I say “thriving” deer population, I’m not kidding. Our new property is rural, surrounded by farm land, and dozens of deer were sleeping, eating, pooping and gathering (partying?) in our fields every day until the fence went up. Below is a photo of our dahlia patch in July with tender greens fully exposed to the deer population.

Tender dahlia growth in July, left totally untouched by the deer.

The deer grazed on a few things in the field, their favorites being some perennials — phlox and delphinium. Their favorite snack was actually the lamb’s quarters that grew like a weed out of our first compost application. I noticed ONE nibble out of a dahlia growing tip, but other than that, they didn’t so much as touch the entire dahlia field. In fact, I noticed that lamb’s quarters growing around the dahlias would be eaten, and the dahlias would be left completely in tact!

why do deer avoid dahlias?

It didn’t come as a surprise that the deer were completely disinterested in the dahlias. Dahlia vegetation has a peppery scent and taste, which the deer do not like. I can only imagine they would eat it if there was nothing else to eat and they were starving and desperate for food. Regardless, I still spent half the season worrying over whether the deer would eat them because you just never know, and apparently I love stressing myself out for no reason.

Related: When to Dig Dahlia Tubers

what kind of fencing to use for deer

I’d still recommend a fence around the dahlias, if you can swing it, just as a precaution. Dahlias are a time consuming, expensive crop and I’m personally not willing to let them get eaten by the local wildlife.

According to some people on the internet, deer can jump up to 12 feet in the air. I have an 8 foot fence and it has worked just fine keeping them out. This 8 ft plastic fencing is exactly what I used for years for keeping deer out of my former 1/2 acre flower farm. In combination with 9-ft Steel Posts and Outdoor UV-Resistant Zip Ties, you can set up a fence around your garden pretty quickly. You’ll just need a Post Driver to pound the posts in.

If you can’t put up a fence though, don’t fret. Your dahlias should be safe from the deer on their own. If you do notice nibbles, I would suggest spraying a perimeter of coyote urine, or put down everlasting urine boxes like I did here.