Flowers to Keep Squirrels Away

Squirrels are curious creatures and wait patiently as you plant your bulbs every fall, so that they can dig up your work once you’re gone. Even if they don’t see you planting, squirrels can scent the fresh bulbs, a favorite food, and there isn’t much that can keep them off. But planting squirrel-resistant flowers as a boundary or throughout a garden may help prevent them from valuable plants.

Fritillary

The genus Fritillaria a part of the Liliaceae family of plants and are typically sturdy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 5 through 9. Fritillary blooms may be ideal at a squirrel-infested garden, since the powerful scent they create is unappealing to squirrels. Fritillaria is a genus containing bulbous perennials with flowers that vary from sole bells to vibrant clusters. Lots of the blooms within this genus are checkered or striped, but you will find solid-colored flowers as well. Blooms appear in a range of interesting colors and blends which have green, maroon, blackish and vibrant yellow-green. Fritillaries can thrive in a range of conditions, growing in rock gardens and moist meadow areas, and in mixed border plantings. Species that include a splash of vibrancy to your garden while repelling squirrels include Fritillaria imperialis, which creates large flowers in yellow, orange and red, and Fritillaria meleagris, which creates single or double flowers in checkered maroon and reddish-purple or whitened.

Galanthus

The genus Galanthus includes dozens of species and cultivars of perennial bulbs that bloom in the spring. Most flowers in this genus are small, but since they bloom before almost everything else, they make a colorful statement in your garden in late winter to early spring. The blooms are white with ribbons of green. Although the giant snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii) has larger flowers than other species, like the more prevalent Galanthus nivalis or common snowdrop, it rises to about 4 inches tall just like the remainder of the The giant snowdrop is hardy at U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 3 through 9, while the common snowdrop is hardy in zones 3 through 8. These lights give off a scent that’s unappealing to squirrels, so planting them around your garden may stop the animals from foraging for different bulbs until they have enough time to bloom.

Daffodil

Daffodils and other plants at the Narcissi family have a tendency to ward off all types of insects, including squirrels, deer and rabbits, since the animals do not enjoy their foul-tasting bulbs. Daffodil flowers vary in color based on the variety, but typically consist of orange, yellow and white. All these plants are hardy in a variety of climates and most are hardy into U.S. Department of Agriculture zone 5 or over. Plant daffodils in the fall, and you’ll have a vibrant, squirrel-repelling array of sunny blooms in late winter to early spring. Daffodils make ideal boundary plants and can brighten up the area between shrubs.

Allium

The genus Allium includes at least 850 species of plants which are hardy at U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 3 through 9, based on the species and cultivar. It’s commonly known for its creamy species, like garlic (Allium sativum), scallion (Allium fistulosum) and onions (Allium cepa), but the genus also has many ornamental species. Alliums are hardy perennials that thrive in a range of climates. Allium plants create a scent that squirrels find repugnant. This makes them an ideal plant to use as a protective border all around your garden. Some interesting varieties to plant comprise diablo onion (Allium diabloense), with white to pinkish star-shaped flowers which have a burgundy vein in the center; coastal onion (Allium dichlamydeum), which blooms with hot pink flowers; and peninsular onion (Allium peninsulare), which creates vibrant burgundy-to-red star-shaped flowers.

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