Is Vinca Deer-Resistant?
The carefree vinca provides color all summer in flowerpots and the garden. Originating in Madagascar, this tropical plant will often naturalize in warm climate zones. Colorado State University's website suggests planting vinca if you want to deter deer.
Growing Vinca
Vinca serves well in the borders of other flowering plants and in containers. If you have a deer problem in your region, surround your vegetable garden and other plants deer eat with vinca and other plants that deer don’t like. After planting vinca in well-drained, slightly acidic soil, it can withstand droughts and prefers to remain fairly dry.
Ongoing Care
You needn’t deadhead vinca flowers because they drop off on their own and remain tidy without your help. If you want to fertilize your plant or plants, use a granular or water-soluble fertilizer once each month, but plants generally do well with no care.
Varieties
Deer will not eat any of the vinca varieties. From white to shocking pink, the varieties range in height from 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall. Heatwave Pink is a low-growing plant that will remain small all its life. Other varieties include Jaio Scarlet Eye, Peppermint Cooler and the unusual Blue Pearl, which is an F-1 hybrid with light blue blooms.
Related Articles
Writer Bio
Barbara Fahs lives on Hawaii island, where she has created Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden. Fahs wrote "Super Simple Guide to Creating Hawaiian Gardens" and has been a professional writer since 1984. She contributes to "Big Island Weekly," "Ke Ola" magazine and various websites. She earned her Bachelor of Arts at University of California, Santa Barbara and her Master of Arts from San Jose State University.
