Do Deer Eat Red Sister Cordyline Plants?

Identification

• Usually called cabbage tree, Cordyline terminalis is synonymous with Cordyline fruticosa. Winter hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12, cabbage tree is native to eastern Asia and is also known as Hawaiian ti, ti tree and good luck tree. A perennial member of the agave family, cabbage tree has bright pink leaves and stems. “Red Sister” has an even deeper plum or burgundy color.

Deer Susceptibility

• Cabbage tree is rated as “resistant” to deer, but that does not necessarily mean that deer will always avoid it. One of the reasons deer are preying on more and more gardens is that their natural habitats, and with them the food deer normally eat, are disappearing to human development. Although “Red Sister” is usually safe from deer, nothing is safe during a lean year when deer cannot find anything else to eat. In such a situation, even cabbage trees make make the menu.

Deer Signs

• Deer leave characteristic signs of their passing, so if you think your plants may have become food for them, check your garden closely. Deer hooves leave a characteristic indentation, like two teardrops right next to one another. Also check the stems, leaves and twigs of the plants that are disappearing. If they are neatly clipped at a 45-degree angle and lower than 2 feet in height, sharp rabbit teeth are most likely responsible for the damage. If, however, the damage is twisted and jagged and above 2 feet in height, then blunt deer molars most likely did the job.

Repelling Deer

• There are a number of repellents you can try to keep deer out of the yard. Several of the most popular are human hair and strong-smelling soaps suspended in perforated bags or nylon stockings, blood meal or lion pee spread around the garden, or bitter-tasting substances applied to stems and leaves. The best bet, however, is fencing. A 7- or 8-foot fence will work on flat ground, but on a grade you may need to build it higher to keep the deer from jumping down the hill and into your garden.