Gopher repellent plants can be very useful not only for keeping gophers away but also for providing additional benefits such as enhancing garden beauty or providing delicious fruits.
However, some people may face some difficulties finding out about such plants. This is why we are here with this list of plants that keep gophers away.
Check out the descriptions of these plants below.
Contents
List of Gopher Repellent Plants
1. Rosemary
The rosemary plant is a hardy evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region with several advantages, one of which is that it acts as a natural solution to the gopher problem. The shrub’s powerful aroma not only helps in gopher control but also controls cats and rats, making it a great choice for usage in gardens and residential landscaping.
– Characteristics
This plant can endure most soil types and settings because of its low-maintenance nature and resilient growth. Nevertheless, it is crucial to remember that in colder areas, the plant may require winter protection. Regular trimming will also assist to encourage healthy new growth and keep pests at bay.
2. Thyme
Thyme is also known as thymus vulgaris in botany, and it is an evergreen perennial herb that has been used for both medicinal and culinary uses for ages. Not only does it have a lovely perfume and its leaves produce a delicious tea, but it can also aid to repel gophers when planted in gardens.
– Characteristics
The volatile oils generated by the leaves of thyme work as a natural repellent, masking food odors that might otherwise attract burrowing rats. Also remember that this resilient and multipurpose plant will protect without the use of chemical repellents or bait traps when planted around garden boundaries or locations known to be frequented by gopher problems.
3. Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia or lavender is a herbaceous blooming plant native to the Mediterranean region that is sometimes used to deter gophers. Lavender’s fragrant scent and edible leaves make it an excellent ingredient in perfumes, teas, and candles, as well as for natural pest control when grown in gopher-prone parts of your garden.
– Characteristics
This low-growing shrub has several therapeutic advantages, including being a stress reliever due to its relaxing impact on the central nervous system. It is not only a beautiful decorative planting for gardens, but it is also quite versatile, with various applications in skincare cures, gourmet meals, and medicinal infusions.
4. Geranium
Geranium Cranesbills also known as Dusky Cranesbills or Alpine Geraniums are a genus of blooming plants. These plants enjoy the partial shade and wet soil with adequate drainage, and they attract bees and other pollinators, making them an attractive addition to any garden or landscape.
– Characteristics
These are perennial herbaceous evergreens with rich purple blossoms and they grow to a height of eight to ten inches. Cranesbills can be utilized as the primary plant in flowerbeds or as an edging around the perimeter. Furthermore, its strong perfume is claimed to naturally discourage gophers from gardens while also providing vibrant color and texture.
5. Sage
Salvia Officinalis or Sage Plant has long been valued for its therapeutic benefits as well as its ability to fix gopher problems. When put within gopher tunnels, the hairy leaves contain high quantities of essential oils and resins which are excellent gopher traps. Plants can be cultivated from seed or propagated from lateral root cuttings before being planted in the ground.
– Characteristics
This plant is a hardy all-year herbaceous perennial with grey-green fragrant leaves and delicate purple blossom spires. On the other hand, when you are growing it you must carefully place thorny obstacles in border regions will keep them at bay. In addition to this, note that the Salvia officinalis can provide year-round protection from gopher incursions in any horticultural area if properly maintained.
6. Pine
The pine tree is an evergreen coniferous plant that is commonly utilized for landscaping and as a gopher deterrent. The great majority of pine trees have been shown to emit volatile oils, which include components that repel numerous tiny rodents, including the common gopher.
– Highlighted Characteristics
When pine trees grow close together, they develop thick woody layers, providing a physical barrier too enormous for most gophers to pass over. On another note you must also consider how these chemicals have strong disagreeable scents and are tactile irritants to many mammalian species; the repellent effects can endure for more than one month and up to three months depending on environmental circumstances.
7. Eucalyptus
The Eucalyptus Globulus is an evergreen tree that produces a very aromatic and combustible oil. Because of its powerful odor, it has been reported to deter gophers. For their aroma, the leaves of this species are frequently used in potpourris or sprinkled around gardens.
– Characteristics
This species may grow up to a hundred feet tall, favors acidic soil and warm temperatures, and is usually long-lived. When you grow them they have a chemical which would fill in the air, however, due to this chemical’s abundance, it has a sap that is poisonous as well.
One of the characteristics is having its extensive root system, which is efficient against soil erosion, which explains its great appeal as a windbreak or shade tree. Tannins derived from the leaves are also utilized in leather tanning and meat curing.
8. Coffee Grounds
The coffee plant is also known as the coffea arabica is a type of tropical evergreen shrub endemic to Ethiopia and Sudan. This plant is one that has been used as a stimulating beverage for millennia and is commercially farmed in various regions of the world.
– Characteristics
This plant can withstand cold temperatures, and it is easy to care for with regular trimming and shelter from wind and cold weather. When you keep the plant in good conditions, it will do thrive and, as a result, keep whatever is not necessary away from your home.
The coffee tree can be used for repelling gophers instead of using gopher baskets because its roots contain eugenol and other chemicals that produce a strong odor and have an unpleasant character. Caffeine found in the leaves is thought to have an extra repellant effect on gophers.
9. Peppermint
The Peppermint Oil plant or Mentha X Piperita is an herbaceous perennial plant with a strong menthol-like perfume that repels gophers. Gophers often avoid locations where peppermint is planted, preferring to live in areas with less intense odors.
– Characteristics
This resilient fragrant crop acts as a natural pest repellant against other common pests such as flea beetles and grasshoppers.
Peppermint, when planted around vegetable gardens or landscaping, helps prevent gopher depredation while also providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the surroundings. It is valued as a garden or landscape planting alternative due to its repelling characteristics.
10. Daffodils
The daffodil aka Narcissus Pseudonarcissus is a blooming plant endemic to the Mediterranean region. Although it is commonly used as a decorative flower in many gardens, it also has therapeutic effects and may be used to deter gophers. Its bulbs contain alkaloids that repel these rodents.
Characteristics
It has yellow trumpet-like blooms that decorate stems of varying heights, some are six inches tall, while others can grow up to eighteen inches tall. When buried around desirable flora, they can protect against potential gopher damage. Daffodils have considerable cultural importance and frequently signify rebirth, fresh beginnings, and hope, in addition to their use outside.
11. Gopher Spurge
Euphorbia Lathyris, sometimes known as the gopher spurge plant, is a Mediterranean-native annual herb. It grows two feet tall, with yellowish-green stems and clusters of brilliant yellow blooming heads.
– Characteristics
This plant has lovely leaves and flowers all season, making it an excellent addition to any landscape that seeks beauty. Its popularity among gardeners stems from its capacity to deter gophers by releasing bitter sesquiterpene lactones from the plant’s tissues that gophers hate. It may be employed in xeriscapes and many other areas where gophers eat plants due to its strong defenses against these unwanted guests.
12. Oleander
Nerium Oleander is an evergreen shrub or small tree that may reach a height of ten feet and has dark green hairy leaves that are eight inches long. It is popular for landscaping since it is very easy to cultivate and grows well in warm areas.
– Characteristics
This plant has pink, white, scarlet, or yellow blooms that create clusters of two to four blossoms and have a nice aroma. On another note, some research has also shown that the plant’s toxic scents deter gophers, keeping these annoying pests away from gardens and landscapes. Many gardeners integrate it into their designs for both decorative and utilitarian purposes.
13. Marigolds
Tagetes or Marigold is a hardy plant that might function as a natural repellent against gophers. The fragrant and colorful blossoms stimulate vigorous root growth and, because of their pungent odor, have been known to discourage annoying creatures.
– Characteristics
This resilient plant, which grows up to three feet tall, blooms from May to October, and it is a wonderful addition for gardeners searching for additional insect protection. The plant can be planted around a problem area or in particular beds that are meant to keep undesirable visitors at bay.
Marigolds are a lovely floral accent plant that adds color and interest to the landscape, as they also are perfectly known for keeping deer and rabbits away from the gardens as well.
14. Catnip
Catnip or Nepeta Cataria is a perennial plant noted for its emotional advantages on cats. It contains molecules called nepetalactone, which excite cats and cause them to do various behaviors such as leaping, rolling, and vocalizing. This plant generates an odor that repels gophers, making it a useful addition to the garden.
– Characteristics
Nevertheless, it is not intended to be the only answer for gopher management. It may assist with fewer gophers, but it may attract more if planted in bigger amounts. Its dark-green, deeply indented leaves have a characteristic serrated edge and culminate in sharp points.
Its features are beautiful as well, having some white or pinkish-white blooms create clusters at the terminals of the branches, making a lovely show during the summer months.
15. Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are popular garden plants known for their enormous and beautiful flower clusters in white, pink, and blue. They can give any area a wonderful, dynamic look. Furthermore, hydrangeas have poison-baiting qualities such as a sap, making them an effective weapon for repelling gophers in the garden.
– Characteristics
The dense foliage and extensive subterranean roots can operate as physical obstacles that gophers find difficult to burrow through or under. The presence of poisons in their leaves and blossoms deters gopher activity in the nearby region.
To enhance these repellant effects, grow hydrangeas within arm’s length of gopher holes and near other vegetation that might be destroyed by gopher digging, which would save so much time and energy for you in the garden.
16. Pomegranate
Pomegranate aka Punica Granatum is a lovely deciduous shrub that produces juicy, tasty fruit. Because of its strong thorns and thick foliage, it has also been discovered to be a good natural gopher repellant. On the other hand, the strong aroma of pomegranate blooms may serve as a deterrent to adjacent gophers.
– Characteristics
When grown around gardens or crops, the foliage creates an impenetrable barrier that gophers simply cannot penetrate safely. The pomegranate plant, when combined with other pest-deterrent methods such as mulch, correct watering, and organic fertilizers, can help to protect plants from these pests while also adding beauty and taste to any garden or landscape.
17. Foxglove
Digitalis Purpurea sometimes known as Foxglove is a Scrophulariaceae family perennial flowering plant. Because of its peculiar root structure, which asphyxiates gophers and other burrowing pests on touch, Foxglove is renowned to repel gophers and other burrowing pests.
– Characteristics
This low-maintenance plant produces gorgeous spires of bell-shaped blooms on long stalks in purple, white, and pink. What is more is that this plant has extensive roots to make it an ideal candidate for slope erosion management. They not only add beauty to any garden or landscaping bed, but they also attract helpful insects like bees while repelling predatory insects like aphids.
18. Scilla
Scilla Bifolia, commonly called Alpine squill, is a perennial bulbous plant endemic to the Alps and Pyrenees ranges. Its capacity to get rid of gophers makes it an appealing choice for gardeners seeking natural management of these rodents, despite its appearance as an attractive ornamental plant.
– Characteristics
This species may grow up to six inches tall, can be planted in full sun, and contains tiny blue flowers that bloom in early spring, as well as attractive strap-like leaves. Alpine squill, with its vivid yellow stamens followed by green ovaries, produces a fascinating display in borders among other flowering plants during the spring season.
19. Castor Oil Plant
The castor oil Plant is scientifically called Ricinus Communis. It is a natural gopher repellant that is becoming increasingly popular among gardeners. Castor oil plant’s roots, secretions, and castor bean on the other hand is also one that would generate a cacophony of scents that keep gophers away from its root system.
– Highlighted Characteristics
This plant grows quickly and so it will require more regular pruning and cleaning up of fallen leaves in order to preserve the correct tree shape and size. Moreover, this species generates jojoba beads, which are said to contain chemicals that discourage these creatures even more. When employing the castor oil plant as a gopher repellent, constant care will maintain maximum effectiveness.
Conclusion
Different gopher repellent plants have different benefits to offer as you have seen in this post. Here are some benefits of these plants at a glance:
- For medicinal values, thyme is an excellent plant that you can choose aside from repelling gophers.
- If you wish to decorate your garden with flowers while getting rid of gophers lavenders or daffodils can be excellent choices.
- Big trees such as eucalyptus will not only keep gophers away but also provide a lot of shade in your garden.
- You can grow plants such as pomegranate to have the benefit of gophers being repelled as well as enjoy its delicious fruits.
- Coffee grounds are an exquisite way to keep gophers out of the garden while having a commercial benefit from the plants.
Now that you are aware of all the benefits of these plants, it will be easier for you to choose anyone or more plants from this list, which one would you pick?
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