Sunpatiens deer resistant, is a common question if these pests always attack your garden. Luckily, deer will avoid your garden if you grow this flower, which is one of its main landscaping benefits.
Our team of gardeners will explain how growing sunpatiens can help maintain the look of your garden.
Contents
Are Sunpatiens Deer Resistant When Planted?
Yes, sunpatiens are resistant to deer when planted, and this means that these animals will avoid your garden if you grow these plants around the edges and unless it is very hungry. You can add these popular flowers to your flower beds and hedges, and they won’t be eaten.
The flowers represent a hybrid of impatiens, but they thrive in full sun, which explains their common name. Their bright colors characterize them, and they have a long blooming season that starts in the spring and can continue until the first frost in 10, 11, and 12 US hardiness zones. This is why they’re quite popular in urban landscape designs, as they can add a pop of color to different gardening setups.
– Ways They Repel
Sunpatiens result from the cross-breeding of New Guinea impatiens and a mysterious variety that grows in Indonesia. The breeders are secretive about this second species as they try to maintain their rarity and popularity, so they even grow them from cuttings, not from their seeds. Unlike impatiens that thrive in shady locations, sunpatiens are more tolerant of the heat and this will add beauty to your landscape if you live in a hot climate.
Sunpatiens are low-maintenance and allow people who live in hotter climates to enjoy the vibrant colors of impatiens. Nevertheless, their popularity is directly linked to their ability to repel deer that can easily destroy your garden in no time.
Luckily these flowers will repel deer so that they will avoid your garden, and this is due to the fact that they would revolt from the smell of these flowers. They won’t feed on these flowers and nearby plants, so you can plant them to protect your landscape from destruction. At the same time, they aren’t toxic, so they won’t harm deer or any other animals if they bite the flower.
Why Do Sunpatiens Deter Deer?
Sunpatients deter deer because of their taste and their aroma that deer would revolt and stay away from. In addition to this, they find the flowers and foliage’s texture too repelling, as they prefer feeding on more tender plants and not go for sunpatients.
These animals particularly hate the foliage’s fuzzy texture, which they find too irritating. They might occasionally feed on the flowers, especially if they’re hungry. Yet, if they have another choice, they would definitely skip sunpatiens and impatiens.
How To Protect Sunpatiens From Deer Attacks?
To protect sunpatients from deer attacks, you can try hanging soap bars above the flowers and use some repellent spray around the flowers. Moreover, you may place some companion plants that they will no longer approach, and lastly, try installing a fence.
Although these flowers are deer resistant, only when the deer are hungry, will they approach your garden and eat the flowers. For this reason, you can take the relevant measures and approaches to keep the flowers safe from being eaten by deer.
Yet, deer will feed on sunpatiens, despite their scent and taste, especially in the spring. After winter, deer will be hungry and feed on anything, including repelling plants and flowers. As a matter of fact, to be keen, you should provide your sunpatiens with some protection, especially when they’re still young, as deer find them tender and appealing.
Strategically planting sunpatiens means that deer won’t be interested in your garden. They will look for food in another location, even if you grow other flower species and plants that appeal to them. As a result, your other plants and flowers will be safe from deer attacks, allowing them to mature and set flowers and seeds to multiply.
– Hanging Soap Bar
Unfortunately, hungry whitetail deer can eat anything, including sunpatiens. This is why, if these pests constantly attack your garden, getting out of control, you should try other solutions like hanging soap bars around your garden, even in flower beds where you grow sunpatiens.
– Repellent-spray
You can also use a deer-repellent spray. Spray these ready-made solutions around your garden to keep deer away because the smell repels them. You can also prepare a DIY spray using garlic powder, dish soap, hot sauce, and water. This is a safe solution for your organic garden, and you can use it to protect other plants.
– Place Companion Plants
Companion planting is a practical solution if you want to enhance your sunpatiens’ deer-deterring properties. Deer don’t like the scent of certain plants like sage, thyme, mint, lavender, and oregano; in addition to hating the smell of geraniums, they will avoid them. Other pests, like rabbits, will also stay away from them. Growing them in your garden will keep these animals away and won’t cause any harm to any wildlife forms or pets.
In addition to these fragrant plants, there are several flowers that you can grow next to your sunpatiens to protect them from deer attacks. Deer hate these flowers, so growing them with your sunpatiens will make your garden less desirable to these animals. They hate nicotiana, calendula, zinnias, marigolds, and sweet alyssum are deer-resistant flowers that you can grow next to your sunpatiens if you want to keep deer off.
Deer won’t find vinca tasty, so growing them in your garden can keep these animals away. Combining vinca with some fragrant plants in your garden is a practical solution if deer always attack your garden. However, remember how deer sometimes eat impatiens, and you may protect them from damage by spraying hot sauce around your plants or growing them in containers. You can also use deer repellent sprays to keep them off your garden.
– Install a Fence
Finally, installing a fence around your garden will also work. Yet, you must ensure you cover all entry points to protect your garden from being destroyed by deer. If you can’t protect your sunpatiens from being eaten by deer, you can consider growing these flowers in containers. Containers are less likely to be attacked by deer, and you can even bring them inside the house.
Conclusion
Sunpatiens represent a great addition to any urban garden, as they add a pop of color and can tolerate more sun than impatiens, which thrive in the shade, so keep in mind:
- Deer hate the smell and texture of sunpatiens, so you can grow them around the hedge to protect your garden from deer attacks.
- Deer hate the scent of sunpatiens and also get repulsed by the plant’s foliage.
- In spring, these animals might feed on sunpatiens, especially if the plants are still young and tender.
- If deer constantly attack your garden, you can consider growing companion plants like fragrant herbs or marigolds, commercial deer repellent sprays, or preparing a DIY repelling spray to keep these animals away.
Planning your landscape design and choosing the right plants and flowers to grow can solve many landscape problems. With sunpatiens growing in your garden, you might not be able to get rid of deer for good, but they will definitely avoid your garden and look for food elsewhere. You can also have a few plants that deers really like, to make them focus on these plants and not on others!
- 25 Kalanchoe Types and Colorful Varieties for Your Garden - October 3, 2023
- 17 Hawaiian Flowers That Grow and Thrive in the Hot Summer - October 2, 2023
- Watering a Poinsettia and How is it Done Correctly? - September 30, 2023
