It they are not already in the ground, is time to get spring-blooming bulbs in the ground. Next spring when succulent green shoots poke up from the brown ground, wouldn’t it be great if they were not palatable to nature’s critters. Here is a list of potential bulbs that might be unappetizing to deer and other critters.
Daffodils. Daffodils are one of the first spring-blooming bulbs to emerge. They are not palatable to deer because they contain the toxic substance lycorine. Lycorine is a poisonous, bitter substance that is in all parts of the plant. Daffodils will multiply and will need thinning every few years to keep them blooming. Plants that emerge in the spring but do not flower are candidates for thinning.
Alliums. Rabbits might find young shoots of many ornamental onions and other Alliums tasty, but deer might not find them palatable. There are hundreds of ornamental Alliums. One that will appear year after year are the garlic chives, Allium tuberosum. Allium tuberosum are also known as Oriental garlic, Asian chives, and Chinese chives. They are native to China and are one of the edible ornamental Allium species. If growing these in the garden for the first time, cut back the flower stalk before seed matures otherwise, the hundreds of black seed that are borne on one flower stalk will drop and next year from a stand of a few garlic chives, there will be hundreds. These come back every year.
Iris. There are hundreds of varieties among the many Iris species—bearded iris, crested iris, Dutch iris, Japanese iris, Siberian iris, Louisiana iris. Deer don’t find these especially palatable, which makes them a good candidate for the ornamental garden. Other animals find the long sword shaped leaves unappetizing. They are long lived and will multiply over the years. Thin every few years to keep them blooming.
Grape hyacinth. These are delightful, low growing, vibrantly colored spring bloomers in the Muscari genus. Blooms may be deep purple or yellow. They pop up very early and hug the ground. They are effective in landscapes when grouped or when nestled among other spring bloomers.
Spanish bluebells. These little beauties can be pink, blue, or white and are effective in landscapes when planted among other spring blooming bulbs. They will multiply over time.
Some information from “Oklahoma Living,” October 2023 Ellen Peffley Harp, a retired professor of horticulture at Texas Tech University, writes about gardening for several Texas newspapers.
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