Plants and shrubs specifically for deer?

[Stump]

I came across this and was wondering if anyone has any experience with planting plants, shrubs or even flowers specifically for deer as a food source near a stand or small area? Drummin_log, maybe you can comment on any of these as well.

Azalea
Plant azalea bushes in your yard to attract deer. Deer especially adore the bright blooms that azaleas produce in the spring. While azaleas produce clusters of lots of flowers, deer love them so much that they can eat all of the blooms off the bushes. Azaleas are evergreen bushes, which means they don't lose their leaves in the wintertime like many others; therefore, they provide a meal for deer during a time of year when food can be hard to find.


Trees and Shrubs Often Eaten

Prunus pisardi nigra Purple Leaf Flowering Plum

Prunus sp Cherry & Plums

Malus sp. Apples

Prunus Plums

Rhododendron sp. Rhododendrons

Taxus sp. Yew

Thuja Occidentalis Arborvitae

Perennials Often Eaten

Crocus sp Crocus

Hemerocallis Hybrids Daylilys

Hosta Hybrids Hosta, Plantain Lily

Lobelia Cardinalis Cardinal Flower

Phlox sp. Phlox

Rosa sp. Roses

Tulipa sp. Tulips

[WayOutHereOutdoors]

I haven't planted any of this type of forage in isolated locations but I started planting hedges of alba and redtwig dogwoods a few years ago around several food plots and have had mixed success. Seems like they prefer the alba to the redtwig but both were almost completely wiped out in a couple of locations last winter. I'm associating the over-browse with the hard winter.

I may try roses this year but again, around existing plot locations. We hunted an abandoned homestead in ND last September and there were several bucks using the home as a food source primarily for the old rose bushes that had taken root in excess around the old buildings. There were some browse plants I couldn't identify but look like they were also from the original occupants.

I'd be curious if anyone have any recommendations of any inexpensive, fast-growing evergreens that could be used to screen entry points and/or food plots within a property?

[drummin_log]

Novel idea but your ahead in my opinion, to plant more traditional things that will provide more nutritional value as well as an attractiveness such as turnips and brassicas for example. The cost value are more reasonable as well!