Deer are browsers and grazers. They feed on a wide variety of plants including leaves stems buds flowers fruit and nuts. In the summer deer eat mostly leaves. In the fall they eat more fruits and nuts. In the winter they eat twigs and bark. Some of the plants deer eat are:
Acer (maple)
Amelanchier (serviceberry)
Arrowwood
Aspen
Beech
Birch
Blackberry
Blueberry
Bracken
Bramble
Buckthorn
Burdock
Buttercup
Camellia
Cardinal flower
Carex (sedge)
Carrot
Cinquefoil
Clematis
Clover
Corylus (hazel)
Crab apple
Crocus
Crowberry
Cypress
Dandelion
Dogwood
Elderberry
Fir
Foamflower
Gentian
Geranium
Goldenrod
Gooseberry
Grape
Greenbrier
Hawthorn
Hazel
Hemlock
Herb Robert
Holly
Honeysuckle
Hosta
Hyacinth
Hydrangea
Illicium (anise)
Iris setosa
Juniper
Lamb’s quarters
Lilac
Lily
Lindera (spicebush)
Lobelia
Locust
Look-alike species:
Some poisonous plants are often mistaken for food by deer. These look-alikes can be harmful or even deadly to deer. Some of the more common look-alikes are:
Azalea
Bearberry
Beech
Bracken
Buckthorn
Burdock
Burning bush
Buttercup
Cassia
Celandine
Chicory
Clematis
Coralberry
Cowbane
Crowberry
Cyclamen
Dogbane
Dogwood
Doll’s eyes
Dwale
Elderberry
Enchanter’s nightshade
Foxglove
Goldenrod
Gooseberry
Greater celandine
Holly
Honeysuckle
Hosta
Hydrangea
Iris setosa
Ivy
Lamb’s quarters
Lily
Locust
Loosestrife
Mayapple
Mistletoe
Monkshood
Moonseed
Mountain laurel
Nightshade
Ninebark
Poison ivy
Poison oak
Pokeweed
Polemonium
Poplar
Privet
Rhododendron
Richweed
Ringworm bush
Saint-John’s-wort
Sassafras
Skunk cabbage
Solomon’s seal
Spindle tree
Star of Bethlehem
Sweet fern
Thistle
Tobacco
Trumpet creeper
Virginia creeper
Water hemlock
White snakeroot
Wild cherry
Wild columbine
Wild geranium
Windflower
Wisteria
Woody nightshade
Yew
It is best to err on the side of caution and avoid any plant that you are not 100% sure is safe for deer to eat.
What do deer eat?
Deer eat a variety of things depending on the season and their location.
In the spring and summer they eat leaves grass and other plants.
In the fall they eat acorns and other nuts.
In the winter they eat twigs and bark.
