Lilac bushes

[4wanderingeyes]

My wife wants Lilac bushes in our yard, she loves the smell. I am just wondering is they have any benefit to deer? I know they attract bees, so in theory that should help my apple trees, but other then that, do deer browse it? Are they repelled by the fragrance? Or is it just some cover for them?

 

[RobertT]

I have a full size lilac with no signs of browse. A year old transplant got hammered in march when it greened up. I would say you need to protect them when young.

 

[chickenlittle]

I would say it is not preferred browse but I did notice some minor browsing on the lilac by my garage this year. I cut it back a couple years ago and there is a lot of young growth. We have a high deer density, mix of wooded, fields, and suburban with a large corporate neighbor that does not allow hunting. If it held its leaves longer, I would consider using it as a screen.

 

[Mortenson]

I can't answer your questions, but I do know that from an old farm I used to live at, the lilacs attracted mosquitoes during the summer, and when they blossomed in the spring, we went searching for morels. And obviously the wonderful smell and bouquets. If I knew that I could build a place in the future, I'd probably start some lilacs now.

 

[Tree Spud]

My wife wants Lilac bushes in our yard, she loves the smell. I am just wondering is they have any benefit to deer? I know they attract bees, so in theory that should help my apple trees, but other then that, do deer browse it? Are they repelled by the fragrance? Or is it just some cover for them?

Let me give you a piece of advice, something that you could etch in a stone tablet .... Happy Wife, Happy Life ....

Plant the lilac bushes and forget about deer benefit ... Trust me, my wife walks the yard and fields enjoying them ...

.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

No rookie with the women !! ^^^^^^^^

 

[Tree Spud]

No rookie with the women !! ^^^^^^^^

I would like to describe myself as smart ... more realistically experienced over may battles that should not have been fought ...

.

 

[willy]

On a farm in northeast NE the lilacs (about 50 yards worth) that are there are about 25 years old and get browsed incredibly hard but come back well in the spring/summer. This is in a low deer density area but also a low density shrub/deer browse material. We have planted a few other other browse species that will live on live on this farm/soil/climate and lilacs are used the most of any including elderberry.

I think you might be getting two for the price of one.

Personally, I like lilacs and would plant them regardless of deer use. Great smell, color, and good at telling me its crappie and morel time.:)

 

[H20fwler]

Around here they grow very shrubby with tons of suckers, the birds sure like them for cover in the winter and they are pretty for a couple weeks and smell great.

 

[JFK52]

I have a large lilac brush on my original 10 acres that has been there for 40+ years and has never been bothered by the deer. It is very picturesque against a back drop of red pines and smells just great when it is in blossom. No idea how it got there as I did not plant it.
I did a lot of large mouth bass fishing on Portage county WI lakes in my past. One of my fisherman sayings was when the lilacs are in bloom the bass are on the spawning beds.