How to Stop Deer From Eating Your Hostas, According to Gardening Experts

Unfortunately, deer love to eat hosta leaves, stems, and flowers—it's one of their favorite snacks. The good news? Hostas can recover from the occasional deer chomp. However, it's a good idea to keep these animals away from your plants altogether.

Here, we chatted with gardening experts about a few humane methods that will keep these animals at bay—and will support both your garden and local wildlife.

Add a 'Liquid Fence'

Liquid fences are safe repellents that won’t harm deer. They're affordable and easy to find at most home improvement stores.

These repellents are made of stinky smells and bad flavors that deer do not like, like potassium sorbate, whole egg solids, thyme oil, garlic, and sodium lauryl sulfate.

“A liquid fence can be effective for deterring small deer populations,” says Benjamin Hanley, landscape designer and founder of Hanley Landscape Design. “Just note that it washes off easily in the rain and has a short residual period, so frequent reapplication is needed.”

Create a Wildlife Garden

You can also entice deer away from your hostas by distracting them with native plants that they typically eat in the wild. While hostas are tasty meals for them, if given the option, deer will prefer the native plants that they regularly come into contact with.

Deer love blueberries, oak acorns, native grasses, and more. Creating a flower bed or two full of these native plants can attract more wildlife to your yard and draw deer away from your hostas.

However, this approach is site-specific and may only work for larger properties with ample space for multiple flower beds.

Build a Fence

Fences are the most reliable way to keep out deer. These animals are expert jumpers, but a 6-foot fence will still prevent them from entering your yard.

"The only foolproof way to keep deer away from your yard is with a fence,” adds Evan Torchio, arborist, gardener, and founder of Tree Menders.

If a permanent, manmade fence seems like too much of an eyesore, then there are beautiful wildlife hedges you can grow instead. But even a modest and inexpensive barrier made from stakes and strong fishing lines will help. Deer can't see or understand the fishing line, so when they encounter it, they'll be apprehensive enough to stay away from your yard.

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Install Motion-Activated Lighting

Deer like to venture onto yards and into gardens at night when people aren’t around. Motion-activated lighting will illuminate your yard every time they approach; the deer will realize that they could be spotted by predators and quickly leave your yard.

“This tactic can naturally draw deer away from your hostas and toward less-prized plants,” adds Hanley. It's also a very affordable approach, and you won’t have to worry about creating too much light pollution.

Plant Deer-Deterring Herbs and Flowers

There are some plants that deer don't want to eat—or even be around. Strong-smelling things like lavender, marigolds, and chives are a good place to start, says Torchio. Plant them as a border to protect your hostas.

Some deer-resistant varieties even resemble hostas and can act as buffer plants. These include coral bells and bigleaf aster.