I am thinking of making some raised beds for cypripediums. I was wondering if deer eat cypripediums. The beds are near a wooded area with a fair amount of deer.
Thanks for the information.

I am thinking of making some raised beds for cypripediums. I was wondering if deer eat cypripediums. The beds are near a wooded area with a fair amount of deer.
Thanks for the information.

That's a complext question! Deer do not particularly like Cypripedium so if there is something else around they will eat it. I have many deer and perhaps once a year I will miss a single bud - they never take more than one so they must not taste good. Cypripedium do have toxins in their leaves that can cause a poison ivy-like rash so perhaps deer are sensitive to it.

When deer are very hungry there are reports of Cyp's being eaten to the ground. There are also studies in which deer are introduced in woodland areas that contain Cyp's. After a couple of years the Cyp populations increase since the deer help eat the higher brush that shade the Cyp's.

Ron

Thanks for the information.
Bill