Will Deer Eat Crape Myrtles?

Resistance

• There are many lists of "deer resistant" plants, shrubs and trees. Sometimes deer resistance varies depending on the geographical area. A North Carolina Cooperative Extension source refers to one of the indica hybrid crape myrtles as "deer resistant." According to Rutgers (New Jersey) University Cooperative Extension, crape myrtle falls into the "seldom severely damaged" category, the second highest for deer resistance. The New Jersey source also notes that deer might eat the buds of shrubs or trees, including those of crape myrtles.

Barriers

• Deer might find crape myrtle less attractive than some other plants, but if deer browsing is a problem in your area, it pays to take precautions. The most effective method of deer deterrence is barriers, either around individual specimen shrubs or trees, or around a large yard or garden area. Barriers should be at least 8 feet tall to be effective. The downside of barriers is cost, which can be substantial. Some gardeners concentrate deer favorites in a relatively small fenced area and plant less attractive species and varieties in the unfenced portions of the garden.

Repellants

• A number of deer/animal repellent sprays on the market coat treated plants with a foul-smelling compound. These are effective in the short term, and regular use of them might get deer out of the habit of browsing in a particular spot. Most repellent mixtures have to be reapplied regularly, especially after rainstorms, to remain effective. Constant reapplication is time consuming and becomes expensive when it is done with enough frequency to make it effective.

Strategies

• If people in your area have had trouble with deer browsing their crape myrtles, consider growing one of the very small varieties in a container and placing the plant somewhere deer can't reach, like a sunny porch. Cultivars like 1- to 2-foot-tall "Pixie White" (Lagerstroemia "Pixie White"), hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9, will work well in containers. Smaller varieties can also be interplanted with strongly scented plants -- like rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), hardy in USDA zones 8 through 10, or lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus), hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9 -- that are unpleasant to deer.