If you reside in a region where these unpleasant reptiles are prevalent, snake-repellent plants might be of utmost importance.
Snakes may readily settle on your property without you realising it unless they are abruptly disturbed. They favour moist, isolated locations with thick foliage cover and even sun-bathed rock gardens.
Even while many snakes are neither poisonous nor dangerous to people or animals, their presence so close to your house may be quite unsettling, so it makes sense to try to keep them away whenever you can.
Growing certain snake-repellent plants around your yard and house that they loathe is one of the simplest and most environmentally friendly methods to do this.
There are several natural fragrances that snakes cannot bear due to their poor sense of smell or at least their inability to collect molecules and pass them through Jacobson's organ.
There are numerous species to cultivate that are also quite appealing and helpful in the kitchen, ranging from plants with spiky leaves to plants with fragrant blossoms and aromatic herbs.
So browse around to choose your preferred snake-repelling plants and learn how to maintain your plot snake-free.
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What Will Normally Discourage Snakes?
Plants that naturally repel snakes include marigolds, allium, lemongrass, mother-in-tongue, law's garlic, wormwood, pink agapanthus, snakeroots, basil, and yellow alder.
You may also use oils; pick clove oil, cinnamon oil, and garlic oil, and drip them on the ground where snakes congregate or put them in bowls or Tupperware with holes in the lids.
Additionally, vinegar is thought to naturally deter snakes. Don't get rid of raccoons or foxes if snakes are more of a problem since these wild animals are snake predators.
If you're considering starting a backyard farm or acquiring additional domestic animals, bear in mind that snakes also dislike pigs, cats, and turkeys.
How Can I Make My Yard Snake-Proof?
Along with planting snake-repelling plants in your borders and pots, pruning down shrubs' lower branches, removing any tall grass, and cleaning up heaps of leaves, logs, or debris will also assist lessen shelter and the likelihood that snakes will hide there.
As puddles and damp places are especially alluring to snakes, fill up any existing tunnels or burrows with tightly packed earth.
The constant travelling of free-ranging dogs might discourage snakes from settling down, which is another fantastic strategy to keep them away from your home.
How Can I prevent Snakes?
More than using plants and fragrances that repel snakes, there are several other techniques to deter snakes. The removal or restriction of food sources and shelter is one technique to achieve this goal; snakes won't come to your land if they can't find a dark log pile to hide in or a consistent supply of food there.
It will be helpful to fix masonry and plumbing cracks, cover up holes around your house, keep grass and vegetation from growing too tall, and get rid of a mole or vole infestation.
It also works well to surround your property with objects that snakes find difficult to crawl over All of these steps will make your house uninviting for snakes: replace smooth walkways with gravel; leave pine cones on the ground rather than cleaning them; plant low-growing holly.
Plants That Repel Snakes To Protect Your Yard and Home
1. holly
Consider methods to make the ground difficult for snakes to crawl over, such as adding plants, much like when you're attempting to get rid of slugs.
Holly is the most apparent snake-repelling plant. Low-growing holly can keep snakes away, but you may also trim established bushes once a month and distribute the prickly leaves about the parts of your yard where snakes are active.
2. Marjoram
Both French and American marigolds have densely ruffled red, yellow, and orange flowers that repel snakes thanks to their pungent, spicy aroma.
According to the staff of Mo Plants, "These bright, gorgeous blooms appear harmless, yet marigolds' roots grow deeply and fiercely" (opens in new tab).
The snake-repelling properties of these strong roots. They give forth a strong stench that keeps moles, gophers, and snakes away.
The odour will permeate far into the earth since it can penetrate wherever a snake could be hiding and digging.
These easily accessible delicate annuals like the sun flourish in the warmer months in USDA Zones 2 to 11.
Marigolds may be grown from seeds, and frequent deadheading will keep them blooming and warding off snakes for longer. Marigolds are excellent plants to grow in order to attract butterflies.
3. Flowering onion or allium
Onions are particularly good in warding off snakes due to their high sulfonic content and strong odour.
Fortunately, they also have eye-catching flowers that provide drama and colour to the late spring yard with their lavender and deep purple pom-pom blossoms sitting on upright stalks.
For an eye-catching show, scatter them in the flower border, amid ground cover plants, or grow them in shallow dish-shaped containers.
One word of caution, though: keep them away from priceless and delicate salad greens and bedding plants since the broad, strappy leaves are less than attractive and the ideal place for slugs and snails to hide. Alternately, be ready to frequently get rid of snails and slugs.
4. Lemongrass
Are you fortunate enough to reside in USDA zones 9–11 or in warmer climates? You may then cultivate lemongrass and include it on your list of wasp-repelling plants.
Lemongrass has a revitalising citrus scent that will keep snakes well away and is native to the warmth, humidity, and sunlight of Sri Lanka and southern India.
These zones allow you to keep lemongrass in the ground all year; zone 9 just requires a little amount of mulch for protection.
You will need to raise and keep the plant inside during the winter if you reside in zone 8 or below and are still interested in trying this plant.
6. Mugwort or Wormwood
Although the allure of wormwood or artemisia may seem to lay in its delicate, feathery silver leaf, did you know that snakes can't stand the aroma of these plants?
It's simple and fast to grow in a sunny, draining location, making it ideal for enclosing your deck or porch to keep these pesky pests far away.
This hardy perennial grows to a height of about 2 feet (60 cm) and a spread of 3 feet (90 cm), forming lovely textured mounds.
During very cold winters, it may lose leaves throughout the winter, but it will sprout anew the next spring.
Although the plant's parts have been used to make the alcoholic beverage Absinthe, it is more well-recognised for its value in healing numerous stomach issues.
7. Agapanthus pink
This towering plant, a member of the onion family, is magnificent in the spring and early summer with its cascade of pink trumpet-shaped blooms, but its strong scent also deters snakes.
It is a perennial that grows quickly and forms clumps; it may grow up to 3 feet (91 cm) tall and does well in HDSA zones 7 through 10. Placement in soggy, damp soil should be avoided as this can make the bulbs rot.
8. Garlic
1Garlic, like onions and other alliums, has large amounts of sulfonic acid, which has a pungent aroma that repels snakes.
Garlic may be grown for both culinary and medicinal purposes, but these bulbs also contain lovely blossoms that taste delicious when cooked or added to salads.
These white, spherical blossoms, known as scapes, may be harvested either at the bud stage or when they are completely open.
Learn how to store garlic to keep it fresh for cooking as well as when to plant garlic in your zone for the best results.
9. Snakeroot Plants
The bitter leaves and roots of this herbaceous perennial, also known as the devil pepper, deter snakes from approaching.
A word of warning: due to chemicals in the plant, specifically reserpine and tremetol, this tall plant with its small, white, long-lasting flowers is highly toxic to snakes but is also bad for animals, especially horses and goats.
Native to North America, it frequently grows in wooded areas and has coarsely toothed leaves with sharp tips that resemble those of stinging nettles.
Conclusion
One of the best methods to keep snakes out of your garden is to use these plants, but if you have a really bad infestation, you can also try removing dried leaves, keeping the grass in your garden from growing long, and other measures. You may also utilise things that are sold in stores.
Additional resources and citations
- 1Garlic