Slug-Resistant Flowers: A-Z List | 150+ Perennials & Annuals

There are some flowers that slugs and snails are especially attracted to, for example:

  • larkspurs
  • sunflowers
  • hostas
  • dahlias
  • zinnias.

Fortunately, there is a much longer list of flowers that slugs and snails dislike eating.

Here you will find nearly two hundred different annuals and perennials that under normal conditions are slug-resistant.

Why Are Some Plants More Slug-Resistant Than Others?

Many plants developed a way to protect themselves against predators.

They had to because they cannot run away!

sage flower-garden

Therefore, they have developed various methods to become resistant:

  1. Toxic ingredients
  2. Hard and leathery leaves
  3. Hairy leaves
  4. Bitter substances
  5. Hard-to-digest substances
  6. Thorns and spines on stems and leaves
  7. Stinging hairs

These are the main defense mechanisms of plants, and there are many more.

Some plants, such as the tobacco plant, even call other animals to help by emitting scents.

Plants that are preferred by slugs have often lost their defense mechanisms as a result of plant breeding.

Most humans do not like to taste bitter salad greens or vegetables, and the same is true for most slugs and snails.

For a gardener, it is also important to know which plants are especially loved by slugs and snails.

Then you can avoid some of them and replace them with resistant varieties.

Apart from resistant flowering plants, there are also many herbs and vegetables which slugs dislike.

poppy

Slug-Resistant Flowers: Annuals and Perennials

The alphabetical list below consists of flowering plants which have been able to defend themselves against slugs and snails.

However, please be aware that most slugs and snails are omnivores, which means they can eat anything.

If they do not find alternatives, they may also eat some listed plants.

Nevertheless, some plant families are particularly resistant towards slugs, such as the following:

  • geranium
  • phlox
  • aster
  • veronica
  • poppy
  • allium
  • spurge
  • rose
  • dianthus
  • astilbe
  • hydrangea
  • succulent
  • mint.

But even these families might not always be safe.

There are many factors that influence the resistance of a plant.


Flowers as protection against snails & slugs

Check price on Amazon UK.

Offers on Etsy.


In some plant families, the susceptibility is dependent on the subspecies.

For example, mints, daylilies, or irises are sometimes spared but sometimes eaten.

Moreover, the location where a plant is growing can play a role, as can the season and the power of the plants to protect themselves.

Slugs prefer weak, sick, dying, or freshly translated plants.

Young plants may be especially vulnerable and prone to attacks by slugs and snails.

Therefore, I recommend that you cultivate young plants in designated areas and protect them with copperslug fences or slug collars.

slug collar snail
Slug collars can protect single plants.

Slug Collars | Alternative Snail & Slug Control for single plants | Multipack

Click on the image leads to an offer on Amazon.


The following flower-list provides a selection of plants that can be cultivated without much danger of slugs or snails eating them.

Many summer flowers, annuals, and perennials are among them.

With this list at hand, it is possible to create a snail- and slug-resistant flower paradise.

Some seed companies already offer special seed mixtures and tapes consisting only of flower seeds, which slugs avoid and are reluctant to eat.

Some breeders already focus on slug-resistant varieties.


Recommendations: Peaceful Slug Control

Slug Repellent Copper TapeSheep Wool PelletsSlug Collars | Set
Check prices on AmazonOffer on AmazonOffer on Amazon

Slug-Resistant Flowering Plants (From A to Z)

(The plus sign (+) signifies that a plant/family is particularly resistant.)

A-B

1.Aconite ++ (Aconitum, monkshood, wolf’s bane, leopard’s bane, mousebane, women’s bane, devil’s helmet, queen of poisons, blue rocket)

2. Alkanet (anchusa officialis, common bugloss)

3. Alpine Anemone (Pulsatilla Alpina, alpine pasqueflower)

4. Alpine aster (Aster alpinus)

5. Alyssum ++ (genus)

6. Amaranth family (e.g., quinoa, kaniwa, spinach, beetroot, chard)

angels trumpet slugresistant flower

7.Angel’s trumpets (Brugmansia)

8. Appalachian barren strawberry ++ (Waldsteinia fragarioides)

9. Aquilegia (granny’s bonnet, Columbine) ++

10. Artemisia (genus)

astrantia-major snail resistant plant

11.Astrantia ++ (genus)

12. Avens + (geum genus)

13. Baby’s breath ++ (Gypsophila paniculata, panicled baby’s-breath)

14. Balsam + (impatiens, jewelweed, touch-me-not, snapweed, patience)

15. Barrenwort (Epimedium, bishop’s hat, fairy wings, horny goat weed, yin yang huo)

16. Beardtongue (Penstemon)

17. Begonia + (genus)

bellflower-slug-resistant-flower

18. Bellflowers (Campanula genus – vulnerability depending on the species)

19. Bergamot ++ (Monarda didyma crimson beebalm, scarlet beebalm, scarlet monarda, Oswego tea)

20. Bergenia ++ (elephant-eared saxifrage, elephant’s ears)

21. Bidens (beggarticks, black jack, burr marigolds, cobbler’s pegs, Spanish needles, stickseeds, tickseeds)gold-marie-bidens-slug rsistant plant

22. Bitter fleabane (Erigeron acer, blue fleabane)

23. Black Mullein (Verbascum nigrum, dark mullein)

24. Blanket flower ++ (Gaillardia genus)

25. Bleeding heart + (Lamprocapnos spectabilis, lyre flower, lady-in-a-bath)

bleeding-hearts-flower anti slug

26. Blue-eyed-Mary + (Omphalodes verna, creeping navelwort)

27. Bluebeard (Caryopteris)

28. Bluebells (Hyacinthoides genus)

29. Bugle (ajuga, reptans, blue bugle, bugleherb, bugleweed, carpetweed, St. Lawrence plant)

pointed-flower-bugle ajuga slug free

30. Burningbush (Bassia scoparia, ragweed, summer cypress, kochia, belvedere, Mexican firebush)

31. Bushy aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum, rice button aster)

32. Busy Lizzie + (Impatiens walleriana, Impatiens sultanii, balsam, sultana, impatiens)

california-poppy slug resistant

C-D

33.California poppy (Eschscholzia californica, golden poppy, California sunlight, cup of gold)

34. Campion + (Silene, catchfly)

35. Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)

36. Candytuft ++ (Iberis genus)

37. Carex + (genus, sedges)

sweet-william-carnation slug snail resistant flowers

38.Carnations + (Dianthus species – pink, sweet william)

39. Catchflies (Lychnis genus, campion)

40. Catnip + (Nepeta cataria, catswort, catmint)

41. Centranthus +++ (genus)

42. China aster + (Callistephus genus, annual aster)

christmas rose helleborus slug resistant

43.Christmas rose ++ (Helleborus niger, black hellebore )

44. Cinquefoils + (Potentilla genus, tormentils, barren strawberries)

45. Clove pink (Dianthus caryophyllus)

46. Cohosh (Cimicifuga genus, bugbane)

rough-comfrey-flowers slugs and snails do not like to eat

47. Comfrey (Symphytum)

48. Coneflowers (Echinacea genus, sometimes infested)

49. Coral bells ++ (Heuchera genus, alumroot)

50. Corn marigold (Glebionis segetum, corn daisy)

51. Cotton thistle (Onopordum acanthium, Scotch thistle)

52. Cowslip (Primula veris, cowslip primrose)

stinking-cranesbill-flowers slugs hate

53. Cranesbills (Geranium genus)

54. Creeping phlox + (Phlox subulata, moss pink, mountain phlox)

55. Curry plant + (Helichrysum italicum )

cyclamen slugs do not eat

56. Cyclamen + (genus)

57. Cymbalaria muralis (ivy-leaved toadflax, Oxford ivy, mother of tousands, mennywort, wandering sailor)

58. Daisy (Bellis perennis)

59. Dalmatian Bellflower (Campanula portenschlagiana, Adria Bellflower, wall bellflower)

60. Dame’s gilliflower (Hesperis matronalis – dame’s rocket, damask violet, night-scented gilliflower, summer lilac, sweet rocket, mother-of-the-evening, winter gilliflower)

61. Dane’s blood (Pulsatilla vulgaris, European pasqueflower)

daylily slugs do not like

62. Daylilies (Hemerocallis, strongly varietal and location dependent)

63. Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata, prairie gay feather – vulnerability dependents on the species)

64. Dianthus barbatus (Sweet William)

65. Dianthus plumarius + (common, garden, wild pink)

66. Dog violet (Viola riviniana, wood violet)

loosestrife

67. Dotted loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata, large yellow loosestrife, spotted loosestrife)

E-H

68. Erigeron (genus)

69. Evening primrose (Oenothera genus, suncups, sundrops)

70. Everlasting (Antennaria, catsfoot, pussytoes)

71. False goat’s beard ++ (Astilbe genus, false spirea)

72. Fern-leaved beggarticks (apache beggarticks)

73. Festuca (eg. blue fescue)

74. Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium, bachelor’s buttons, featherfew)

feverfew snails do not eat

75. Fleabane (Erigeron annuus, annual fleabane, daisy fleabane, eastern daisy fleabane)

76. Fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides, Chinese pennisetum, Chinese fountaingrass, dwarf fountain grass, foxtail fountain grass, swamp foxtail grass)

77. Fuchsia (genus)

78. Fumaria (fumitory, fumewort)

honorary-award-gamander slugs do not like to eat

79. Gamanders (Teucrium)

80. Garden Cosmos + (Mexican aster, Cosmos bipinnatus)

81. Gazania ++ (genus)

82. Giant onion (Allium giganteum)

83. Gladiolus (genus)

84. Globe thistles ++ (Echinops genus)

globe-thistle-slug resistant

85. Globeflower (Trollius europaeus)

86. Goatsbeards ++ (Aruncus genus)

87. Golden starthistle + (Centaurea solstitialis, yellow star-thistle, yellow cockspur, St. Barnaby’s thistle)

88. Goldenrod + (Solidago genus)

89. Grape hyacinth (Muscari genus)

muscari-grape hyacinth slug free

90. Great mullein (Verbascum thapsus, common mullein)

91. Heartleaf ++ (Brunnera macrophylla, great forget-me-not, largeleaf brunnera)

92. Helipterum + (H. genus, e.g., silver bells, Australian strawflower, timeless rose)

93. Hepatica nobilis (Anemone americana)

hepatica-nobilis-snail resistant

94. Himalayan meadow primrose ++ (Primula rosea)

95. Hollyhocks (Alcea)

96. Honeysuckles (Lonicera caprifolium)

97. Horned violet (Viola cornuta, horned pansy – some species are vulnerable)

horned violet snail safe

98. Houseleeks + (Sempervivum, liveforever, hen and chicks)

99. Hydrangea + (Hortensia)

100. Hymenostemma (H. pseudanthemis)

immortelle slug safe flower

I-M

101. Immortelle + (Xeranthemum annuum, annual everlasting)

102. Impatiens (I. genus, jewelweed, touch-me-not, snapweed, patience)

103. Inula (e.g., elecampane)

104. Iris + (I. genus – strongly dependent on variety and location)

flower iris slug resistant

105. Jacob’s ladder + (Polemonium genus)

106. Japanese iris (Iris ensata)

107. Japanese meadowsweet (Spiraea japonica, Korean spiraea)

108. Knapweeds ++ (centaury, centory, starthistles, centaureas, bluets, loggerheads, cornflowers, basketflowers)

109. Knotweeds + (Persicaria genus, smartweeds)

lady's mantle slugs do not like to eat

110. Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla genus)

111. Leucanthemum (L. genus – depending on location)

112. Lily of the valley ++ (May bells, Our Lady’s tears, Mary’s tears)

113. Linaria (genus)

praise-lien lobelia snails hate

114. Lobelia ++ (genus)

115. Lobularia maritima ++ (Alyssum maritimum, sweet alyssum, sweet alison)

116. London pride (Saxifraga x urbium, whimsley, look-up-and-kiss-me, St. Patrick’s cabbage)

117. Loosestrife + (Lysimachia genus)

love in a mist slug resistant flower

118.Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena, ragged lady, devil in the bush)

119. Maiden Pink + (Dianthus deltoides)

120. Mallows (Malva genus but depending on the species and location)

121. Marigold (Calendula officinalis, ruddles, depending on location)

meadowsweet snail resistant plant

122. Meadowsweet + (Filipendula genus)

123. Meconopsis (genus)

124. Monarda (M. genus, bee balm, horsemint, oswego tea, bergamot)

125. Moneywort + (Lysimachia nummularia, creeping jenny, herb twopenny, twopenny thot)

126. Montbretia (Crocosmia genus, coppertips, falling stars, antholyza, curtonus)

crocosmia montbretia slugs hate

127. Mountain avens (Dryas octopetala, white dryad)

128. Myosotis + (M. genus, forget-me-not, scorpion grasses)

129. Myrtle spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites, blue spurge, board-leaved glaucous spurge)

N-R

130. Narcissus (N. genus, daffodils, daffadowndilly, jonjuil)

narcissus slugs do not eat plants

131. Nasturtium + (Tropaeolum)

132. Nemesia ++ (genus)

133. Nicotiana (N. x sanderae)

134. Obedient plant ++ (Physostegia virginiana,, obedience, false dragonhead)

135. Oriental poppy + (Papaver orientale)

136. Pasque flower + (Pulsatilla, wind flower, prairie crocus, Easter flower, meadow anemone)

common-pasque-flower

137. Peavines (Lathyrus genus, vetchlings)

138. Peony ++ (Peonia genus)

139. Pericallis × hybrida (cineraria, florist’s cineraria, common ragwort)

periwinkle slug resistant

140. Periwinkle + (Vinca genus)

141. Perovskia (genus)

142. Phlox ++ (genus)

143. Pilewort (Ficaria verna, lesser celandine, fig buttercup)

144. Platycodon grandiflorus ++ (ballon flower, Chinese bellflower)

145. Plume-poppy ++ (Macleaya cordata)

portulaca slug safe plant

146.Portulaca grandiflora ++ (rose moss, ten o’clock, Vietnam rose, Mexican rose, sun rose, moss-rose purslane)

147. Pot-of-gold (Coreopsis verticillata, whorled tickseed, whorled coreopsis, thread-leaved tickseed, thread leaf coreopsis)

148. Primroses (Primula genus, – vulnerability dependents on the species)

primula plant slugs do not like to eat

149. Primula vialii (species)

150. Purple foxglove (Digitalis purpurea, common foxglove, lady’s glove)

151. Purple mullein (Verbascum phoeniceum, temptress purple)

152. Ragworts ++ (Senecio, groundsels)

rhododendron plant snails do not like to eat

153. Rhododendrons (genus)

154. Rockcress (Arabis genus)

155. Rockrose + (Helianthemum nummularium)

156. Rosa (R. genus – depending on the variety)

157. Rubiaceae (coffee, madder, bedstraw family)

rubiaceae slug resistant plant flower

S-U

158. Santolina genus ++

159. Saxifrage ++ (S. genus, rockfoils)

160. Sea lavender (Limonium, statice, caspia, marsh-rosemary)

161. Siberian flag (Iris sibirica)

162. Silene coronaria (rose campion, dusty miller, mullein-pink, lamp-flower)

crowns-campion-silene coronaria slug resistant plant

163. Snake’s head (Fritillaria meleagris, chess flower, frog-cup, guinea-hen flower, leper lily, dropping tulip, fritillary, chequered lily)

164. Snapdragons + (Antirrhinum genus, dragon flowers – depending on species)

165. Sneezeweed (Helenium genus)

166. Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum genus, King Solomon’s-seal

167. Southernwood + (Artemisia abrotanum, lad’s love, southern wormwood)

168. Sowbread (Cyclamen hederifolium, ivy-leaved cyclamen)

169. Spiked speedwell (Veronica spicata, royal candles, red fox, Noah Williams)

valerian spur snail resistant flower perennial

170. Spur valerian + (Centranthus ruber, red valerian, kiss-me-quick, fox’s bush, Jupiter’s beard)

171. Spurflowers (Plectranthus genus)

172. Spurge + (Euphorbia genus)

173. St. John’s Wort (Hypericum genus)

lambs-ear stachys genus slug resistant perennials

174. Stachys genus + (hedgenettles, heal-all, self-heal, woundwort, betony, lamb’s ears)

175. Stonecrops ++ (Sedum genus)

176. Storksbills (Pelargonium genus, geranium)

177. Succulents (almost all species of succulent plants)

178. Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare, bitter buttons, cow bitter, golden buttons)

179. Teasel (Dipsacus genus, teazel, teazle)

wild-teasel-slug resistant plant

180. Thistles (Cynareae)

181. Tiarella (genus)

182. Triple-veined-pearly everlasting (Anaphalis triplinervis)

tulips are slug resistant flowers

183. Tulips (Tulipa genus)

V-Z

184. Verbena (Verbena officinalis, common vervain)

185. Veronica ++ (e.g., heath speedwell, common gypsyweed, common speedwell, Paul’s betony)

186. Vetches + (Vicia genus, variety and location dependent)

vetches plants slugs do not like to eat

187. Waldsteinia genus (barren strawberries)

188. Wallflower + (Erysimum cheiri)

189. White stonecrop (Sedum album)

190. Wild teasel (Dipsacus fullonum, fuller’s teasel)

191. Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)

192. Wood Anemone + (windflower, thimbleweed, and smell fox, Anemone nemorosa)

woodruff plants slugs do not eat

193. Woodruff (Galium odoratum, sweet-scented bedstraw, wild baby’s breath, master of the woods)

194. Woolly hedgenettle ++ (Stachys byzantina, lamb’s-ear)

195. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium, absinthe, grand wormwood)

196. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

yarrow flower

Planting and sowing these plants are perhaps the easiest ways to avoid a snail problem from the start!

If you would rather not give up on marigolds, hostas, dahlias, larkspurs, and company—all favorites of the snails—you can use different means and methods to protect them.


Snail & Slug Barriers

Slug Repellent Copper TapeSlug Collars | Multipack
Offer on AmazonOffer on Amazon
Offers on eBayOffers on eBay

slug fence bed
You could install a Hanover slug fence to control slugs.

How to Protect Endangered Plants?

There are several things to consider when dealing with snails and slugs.

First, you need to understand the causes and condition behind the snail or slug boom in your garden.

Then you will be able to find sustainable solutions and countermeasures.

Slug pellets will only worsen it.

If you find out that the natural predators of slugs have left your garden, the solution will be to reintroduce them, which will take some time.

In this situation, slug barriers can help by providing immediate protection for plants, mechanically stopping slugs and snails.

They will help your plants to withstand slug attacks until more natural enemies start to settle.


Slug & Snail Fence | Protective Barrier

Click on the image leads to an offer on Amazon.

Offers on Etsy.


Flowers as protection against snails & slugs

Check price on Amazon UK.

Offers on eBay.

Offers on Etsy.


Peaceful Slug Control & Plant Protection

Another interesting option is to distract slugs and snails from vulnerable plants by creating sacrificial flower and vegetable beds.

In these beds, you feed them with plants and food they love to eat.

Then they might leave everything else, and it will become easy to set up live slug traps and to pick them up.

It is also often suggested to use mulch against the snails and create protective rings using coffeeeggshells, diatomaceous earth, and so forth.

These methods can help a little, but usually do not lead to the desired success.

Please do not put too much hope in these techniques.

I tested and compared the recommended mulch materials against slugs.

Most of them fail completely if it begins to rain.

However, sheep wool pellets had a deterring effect on slugs and snails and can be recommended.


Raw sheep wool as protection against snails & slugs

Click on the image leads to an offer on Amazon.

Offers on Etsy.


sheeps wool against slugs
Try to use sheep wool against slugs.

I hope you liked this article and that I could help you a little! 


Video: Pest Resistant Plants


Further Information

Ideas to control against slugs and snails:

Slug barriers

Slug and snail deterrent paint

Electric slug fence

Homemade slug and snail control

Runner ducks against slugs and snails


Peaceful Slug Control & Plant Protection

Slug Repellent Copper TapeGarden Cloche | Multipack
Offer on AmazonOffer on Amazon
Offers on eBayOffers on eBay

Sheep Wool PelletsSlug Collars | Multipack
Offer on AmazonOffer on Amazon
Offers on eBayOffers on eBay

Mindful consumption: Please only buy what you or your garden really need.


Last update: February 12, 2023


Did you find what you were looking for?

If not, please leave a message or a comment.

I will try to help you and to improve the article.


Thank you very much – as well, for sharing and for leaving a good rating 🙂

I know you are there, and I am so happy!

star rating

4.6/5 - (8 votes)

15 thoughts on “Slug-Resistant Flowers: A-Z List | 150+ Perennials & Annuals”

  1. I love this site. The list of resistant plants is so helpful & it is so nice to finally find advice that isn’t just “1001 ways to torture a slug”.

    Reply
  2. The A-Z list is great, although a note beside each to state that it’s either annual or perennial would help those of us who don’t know many plants

    Reply
  3. I live on the Dorset Somerset border and look after a public garden. This year slugs and snails have decimated young calendulas, cosmos, nicotianas as well as the more obvious zinnias, sunflowers and rudbeckias. Ailsa

    Reply
  4. A slug has completely destroyed one of my primroses overnight and then hid in a hyiacinth leaf. All happened in the driest sunniest and rockiest area of my front garden about 3 feet from big lavender plants and they are meant to attract slugs I think. Some plants are just destined to be found by a snail! Many of the other plants listed above are happily surviving the more slug friendly back garden. Verbenas, roses, muscari, bergenia, mints, some tulips, daffodils, achilleas, monardas, anemones. Trying to grow some gypsophilia this year – we’ll see.

    Reply
  5. I remember last year. I wanted to have a hosta in my garden. We bought a plant and it looked healthy. Once the rain hits, the hosta was just gone.
    After that, I didn’t dare to plant hosta again (even I really love it!) in my garden. Slugs are very aggressive.

    Reply
  6. Surprised there was no mention of encouraging slug and snail predators. Toads, Hedgebogs, Shrews, songbirds. Not to mention all the predatory beetles and insects that feed on them. Simply leaving areas of long grass uncut as wildlife habitat until Hostas etc. are past their vulnerable tender early growth stage, can have a significant impact on slug numbers. I’ve been a professional gardeners/permaculture designer for 20years now and the old permaculture saying goes ‘You don’t have a slug problem, you have a duck shortage’ speaks of the legendary slug eating abilities of some of the more carnivorous varieties of domestic duck such as the Khaki Cambell if you have room for some very entertaining garden helpers, occasionally giving them the run of the flower beds before returning to their enclosure can seriously reduce slugs/snails,and they don’t scratch around destructively as chickens often do. Vgood luck!

    Reply
  7. After forty years of battling slugs and snails, I would agree with a number of the plants on your list. However, I’ve yet to succeed with annual cornflowers for example or hollyhocks. Not many slug resistant annuals in my experience. Other plants, they may not eat the plant but eat the flowers. Primroses for example, cushion phlox, narcissi, cyclamen. Native foxgloves are OK but anything fancy won’t get past seedling stage without constant vigilance. Same with double daisies. Slug wool pellets help a bit but nothing deters a determined mollusc.

    Reply
  8. This was a very thorough article with extremely helpful advice and the best plant list I have seen so far thank you very much

    Reply
  9. Great information. I’ve learned the hard way and now always check to see if a plant is slug fodder or not. It’s a very comprehensive list and you’ve clearly gone to a lot of trouble. The tests of wool as a preventative measure was really helpful. Thank you 😊

    Reply
  10. I love (and my garden really needs as contrast) some big blousey amber/scarlet/copper/gold rudbeckias – and I planted some, but after only a year they’ve all been had. Your A-Z list is a fantastic help with photos of a few of the plants (thank you), but nothing displayed in photo form that looks much like a rudbeckia in form. Obviously I will need to do my own shortlisting and cross-referencing online to find flowering replacements for rudbeckias but does anything immediately spring to your mind that would short-circuit my future researches?

    Reply
    • Hello Lucy,
      thank you for your question.
      Maybe you could try Jerusalem Artichoke.
      They produce a lot of flowers and you can eat the roots. They are delicious.
      May you find all the flowers you need for your garden to be happy!
      Alex

Leave a Comment