RE: Deer resistant iris

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My observations show that deer do not like iris; too tough; too stringy and too bitter.  That being said however, deer WILL eat iris foliage if they are desperate enough.

 

Several years ago, during a winter following an extended drought, there was practically no browse to be had.  Deer were so desperate that they not only ate all my day lilies, they dug the fleshy roots and ate them too.  After the day lilies were gone (hostas were dormant of course) they started eating my iris, bearded, Siberian, Japanese, Louisiana – whatever.  And I know it was deer because I would have to chase them out of the gardens myself.  Oddly, they never seemed to eat the rhizomes, but pulled quite a few out of the ground.  One of the worst things was they would trample and destroy the name tags.

 

My two cents worth,

M. Dean Hunt

Louisville, KY zone 6B