Which Plants Do Snails and Slugs Like to Eat? Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers

Contents

1 Vegetables, herbs, and flowers that slugs love
2 The sacrificial bed strategy
3 Absolute slug magnets
4 They also like (second choice)
5 Herbs that slugs like to eat
6 Which flowers do slugs and snails like to eat?
7 Slugs’ favorite flowers
8 Snails also like these species
9 How can you protect these varieties?

Vegetables, herbs, and flowers that slugs love

To save a lot of time and trouble with slugs and snails, here’s a simple trick:

Don’t grow plants that snails and slugs love to eat.

Slugs and snails are usually selective and there are some flowers and vegetables that they simply can’t resist eating.

In this article, you’ll discover which plants are their favorite food so that you can avoid growing them in the future.

However, I’d also like to introduce a completely different approach here: ‘the sacrificial bed strategy’.

If you’re looking for slug-resistant plants, you’ll find more information here:


Which vegetables and herbs do slugs not like to eat?	Which flowers and perennials are slug-resistant?

The sacrificial bed strategy

An interesting idea is to create a so-called ‘sacrificial bed’ for all slugs and snails to enjoy.

If you plant a bed and fill it with the plants they like most, then most of them will gladly stay there and leave the other plants in peace.

Personally, I consider this to be one of the cleverest methods of slug control.

slug in the garden flowers — The sacrificial bed distracts the slugs.

In the sacrificial bed, snail life traps can be set up, to collect and relocate the snails easily.

If there are certain gates through which slugs and snails enter the garden, the bed could be placed there, so that they’re caught before they reach the vegetable garden.

The danger, however, is that this could attract even more slugs and snails.

So, you must make sure that a sacrificial bed really does contain enough space and plants so that the slugs and snails are satisfied and aren’t interested in migrating to other flower and vegetable beds.

This strategy works only if there’s enough space available.

The following lists show which plants would be perfect for a special slug bed.

slug collar snail — Beans are slug magnets. They can be protected by slug collars.

Absolute slug magnets

green salad (lettuce, pickle salad – red varieties are more resilient)
almost all types of cabbage (Brussels sprouts, Savoy cabbage, white cabbage, red cabbage, pointed cabbage, Chinese cabbage, etc.)
strawberries (not the leaves, but the fruits)
pepper plants
zucchini, courgettes (unfortunately, also the fruits)
pumpkin (especially the young plants, rarely the fruits)
cucumbers (as long as they’re still small)
kohlrabi (cabbage turnip)
beans (shrimp and runner beans)
mustard
celery (especially the young plants)
buckwheat
cress.

slug fence — A slug barrier protects vulnerable plants.

They also like (second choice)

lentils
radishes
chili plants
spinach
carrots
asparagus
peas.

For herbs slug collars are a protective ring.

Herbs that slugs like to eat

Most herbs aren’t afraid of snails.

A herb garden, therefore, isn’t usually a place where a lot of slugs and snails can be found.

The list of herbs that slugs love is therefore short:

basil
lemon verbena
parsley (young plants)
dill (cucumber herb)
marjoram (sometimes).

flowers and plants slugs love — Slugs love marigold flowers.

Which flowers do slugs and snails like to eat?

Flowers are particularly suitable for a snail-catching or sacrificial bed.

Here you’ll find a short list of flowers that are usually attacked first.

Fortunately, there’s a much longer list of flowers that snails don’t particularly like.

These snail-resistant varieties are therefore easy to avoid.

The level of attraction, even for the following list, depends on:

variety/species
age (young plants are normally endangered)
health/strength (sick plants are vulnerable)
season
location
surrounding plants.

hosta funkia slugs like to eat — Hosta and Funkia plants are slug magnets.

Slugs’ favorite flowers

Flowers with the power to attract slugs:

marigolds
delphiniums (larkspur)
hostas (Funkia)
dahlias
zinnias
lupins (lupines)
sunflowers
dandelions
petunias
bellflowers (Campanula)
asters (a big difference in varieties)

larkspur-slugs favourite food flower — Slugs and snails love larkspur.

Snails also like these species

(if there’s nothing better on offer)

Baby’s breath (Gypsophila)
clematis
daylilies (Hemerocallis)
irises (depending on variety and season)
mallow (hollyhock, Malva)
Coreopsis (tickseed)
chrysanthemums
marigold flower (Calendula)
Datura (moonflower)
summer ragwort (leopard plant)
gazania
Madonna lily
woodland sage
tansies
Rudbeckia (coneflowers)
burning love (Maltese cross)
tree mallows (lavatera)
Vicia (vetches).

electric slug fence connection — An electric slug fence can be installed.

How can you protect these varieties?

If you really like these flowers or you’re a vegetable gardener, there are several ways of protecting vulnerable plants.

Since beer traps and slug pellets help for only a short time but are counterproductive in the long term, using them isn’t helpful.

It’s better to use slug barriers and to attract natural enemies.

Barriers for slugs and snails

A garden cloche will keep slugs out: All info on Amazon

Mechanical obstacles such as slug collars, copper rings or garden cloches are easy to set up and keep even the snails’ favorite foods safe.

Particularly effective are slug fences made from galvanized metal. They can protect beds for many years.

With a little skill, it’s also possible to build an electric slug fence.

You can also do many little things yourself. You’ll find some upcycling ideas here: Slug control DIY.

In addition, you can surround a breeding bed with wood or stones and then protect it with Schnexagon – a new protective anti-slug coating that’s also suitable for raised beds.