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92 Slug Resistant Plants
Robert Korner sent us a list of 92 plants he suggests are resistant to slug attack, though Bob Flowerdew reckoned a hungry slug would eat anything! But do try it for yourself and let us know how you get on with plants from the list. Comments from other listeners are at the end of the list - any plant with an * has been attacked by slugs in a listener's garden!
Ajuga*
Alyssum
Anchusa
Arabis
Armeria
Artemesia
Astilbe
Astrantia
Aubretia*
Bergenia*
Bleeding heart
Bluebells*
Borage
Campanula
Ceanothus
Chamaeleon plant
Chionodoxa
Chiosya*
Christmas rose* (Helleboris niger)
Columbine (Aquilega)
Cornflower
Cosmos
Cotton lavender (Santolina)
Cranesbills (Geranium)
Creeping jenny
Daffodils*
Day lily
Dead nettle (Lamium)
Echinops
Euphorbia
Feverfew
Forget-me-not
Foxglove
Fuschia
Geum
Golden rod (Solidago)
Hebe
Heuchera
Honesty
Hops (golden)
Hydrangea
Irises*
Jacob's ladder
Kaffir lily (Schizostylis)
Knautia macedonia
Lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
Lamb's ear (Stachys)
Lavatera*
Lavender
Lemon balm
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Useful Links:
BBC Gardening: Pests and diseases
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If you'd like a printed version of this page, click here.
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Leuchera
Lilies (regal etc.)*
Lobelia*
London pride
Lysimachia
Maclea
Marigolds*
Monk's beard (Aconitum)
Montbretia (Crocosmia)
Nasturtiums*
Nepeta
Nigella
Penstemon*
Peony
Periwinkle (Vinca major and V. minor)*
Petunias*
Phlox
Pinks (Dianthus)*
Poached egg plant (Limanthes)
Poppies (all types)*
Potentilla
Primula*
Rock rose
Rosemary
Saxifrage
Scabious
Sedum*
Shasta daisy
Snapdragons
Snow in summer (Cerastium)
Solomon's seal (Polygonatum)
St John's wort (Hypericum)
Sweet rocket
Sweet William
Tansy
Toad Flax (Linaria)
Tulips
Valerian
Veronica
Viburnum
Viper's bugloss (Echium)
Wallflowers
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Your responses to the list
From Mandy
I have a pinky coloured one Ajuga (rainbow?) which slugs hardly bother with, but the brown one (braunherz?) they love and have nearly destroyed. Hardy geraniums they don't bother with, nor hairy leaves, narrow leaves, or succulent types such as sedum or sempervivum.
They haven't bothered with the Festuca glauca, thyme, rosemary, heathers, lavatera (odd, I notice they eat somebody else's!), Michaelmas daisies, Caryopteris, potentilla, buddleia, escallonia, spiraea....
They do like daffodil leaves once the flowering has stopped. And they killed all my primulas, which I see is on the list.
I am now trying to grow only plants they don't like, and plant the ones they love in pots. I protect the pots with the sticky backed copper tape you can buy, and anti-slug mats under the pot feet. I've found other barrier methods don't work, but these do.
From Pam
I very nearly lost my Christmas rose to these monsters but have had success deterring them by smearing petroleum jelly round the edge of the pot, so far so good the plant is looking pretty healthy. However, I am keeping an eye on alternative routes of access!!! I notice Ajuga at the top of the list, which has been attacked in our garden by slugs and snails. Climbing brickwork doesn't cause them any problems either, I have found parents and offspring in my two window boxes. I have seen our frogs eating slugs (not enough mind you) do they eat snails?
From Karen
Its so nice to hear of others with slug probs but I do think it's not just certain plants they like or dislike its areas of the country. I live in Surrey and my mother lives in South Yorkshire, she has no slugs in her garden whereas I am constantly slug-flinging, maybe this could become a new sport! I Hate them, I even found one on my cat!
From Chris Wisdom
I was very interested in seeing this list as my garden is obviously a snail
heaven. So much so, that I now only try and buy plants that I know won't be
eaten but their tastes seem to change so much, it's a constant battle! One
plant that surprises me that gets eaten - and in particular by the small
snails - is my Choisya ternata. It gets riddled with holes AND they even
seem to live on it!! Strangely though they leave the Choisya 'Aztec Pearl'
completely alone!?!
From Amanda
"Please make this 87 resistant plants, and counting.
The slugs have made big holes in my aubretia and marigolds, and smaller holes in my nasturtiums, dianthus and lavatera!"
From Ruth Barsby
"I have read the list of supposedly snail-proof plants in amazement; as my irises are the absolute favourite plant of slugs & snails in my garden! Every year I lose several flowers, if not plants, to the little horrors. I usually resort to picking them off by hand and throwing them down the road!! Bergenia is also attacked, in fact providing a shelter for the snails, and is in a totally different part of the garden to the irises. My peony suffers, as do the periwinkle, dianthus, iceland poppies and primula! These are not even near each other, for the most part. I would however agree that cerastium, hebe, fuschia, Lamium, day lily, potentilla, nigella, and alyssum are relatively safe! (Please don't tell the slugs I said so!)
I rest my case! I did enjoy my first visit to this website!"
From Kate Bunting: "I would like to second Ruth Barsby's claim that slugs do eat irises. I have had flower buds on my bearded irises devoured before they have had the chance to open. I suggest one more species for the list should be (hardy) geraniums. I grow about 8 different kinds and none suffers slug damage."
Amira: "I agree with Bob...the slugs in my garden attack everything including my Gunnera manicata! They particularly like my bergenia, bluebells, Christmas roses, daffodils, lilies, lobelia, penstemon, petunias, primulas, and sedum...I decided not to replace many of these this year and planted rosemary and lavender instead, but I even found the blighters munching away on these!"
But Robin's list is of slug resistant plants - plants which would survive a slug attack well enough to justify growing them...
If you'd like to add your thoughts email them to the website: r4online3@bbc.co.uk
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