Slug-proof gaudy foliage?

17 years ago

Hi. This is not strictly an "annuals" question Â more to do with bedding plants that can be treated as annuals: I have a hot colour/tropical-style border Â mainly bananas, canna, gingers, ricinus, bronze-leaf dahlia, interspersed with clumps of crocosmia, daylilies, clumping bamboo and zebra grass. I would love to introduce more colourful, low-growing foliage plants but cannot use coleus because they get destroyed by slugs and snails. IÂve tried many methods of control but itÂs impossible to eradicate the pests, as we have so many and they love the conditions in our garden.

IÂve been looking for alternatives and have planted out Pelargonium ÂVancouver CentennialÂ alongside a dark-leaf pelargonium ÂBlack Velvet RedÂ. IÂve also tucked a few dark-leaf Begonia (both tuberous "non stop mocca" series and fibrous dark-leaf semperflorens varieties) closer to the foliage of other plants to provide ground-cover in part shade. Could anybody offer suggestions, either for this season or to consider next year, of other mollusc-resistant ground cover/front of border plants with colourful or even downright gaudy foliage? If they can be grown from seed, so much the better.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can give.

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Comments (5)

Donna
17 years ago
I have never had slugs bother golden duranta.
MissMyGardens
17 years ago
Lantana camara seems to be the only thing that slugs have not eaten this year due to two straight months of rain but it's a flowering plant.

Garden where I have Lantana plants with yellow/bright pink blooms hasn't be dry in months and those plants are only ones where foliage hasn't been eaten by slugs.

Lantana comes in variety of colors.

Ferns and Euphorbia seem to be on many lists without someone disagreeing based on their own experience.

I read a few articles on British web sites and most people indicate slug resistance of plants on all those "lists" depends upon which area of Britain you have gardens.

Suppose that's true any place.

Lamium and Salvia are supposed to be "resistant" but both have been attacked this year.

Rosemary and Lavender also haven't been touched but probably not the lower growing foliage profile which you desire. I've got Lavender planted on mounds and in containers since it's so wet this year.

Good luck in the slug battle which never seems to end!
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MissMyGardens
17 years ago
Lantana camara seems to be the only thing that slugs have not eaten this year due to two straight months of rain but it's a flowering plant.

Garden where I have Lantana plants with yellow/bright pink blooms hasn't be dry in months and those plants are only ones where foliage hasn't been eaten by slugs.

Lantana comes in variety of colors.

Ferns and Euphorbia seem to be on many lists without someone disagreeing based on their own experience.

I read a few articles on British web sites and most people indicate slug resistance of plants on all those "lists" depends upon which area of Britain you have gardens.

Suppose that's true any place.

Lamium and Salvia are supposed to be "resistant" but both have been attacked this year.

Rosemary and Lavender also haven't been touched but probably not the lower growing foliage profile which you desire. I've got Lavender planted on mounds and in containers since it's so wet this year.

Good luck in the slug battle which never seems to end!
oilpainter
17 years ago
Slugs don't like anything with a fuzzy leaf
MissMyGardens
17 years ago
Stachys, Nicotiana x sanderae and Lychnis Coronaria have all been eaten by slugs this year in my gardens. They have fuzzy foliage. Seems if anything stays wet long enough it attracts slugs. Deer/rabbits/groundhogs don't mind wet or dry to eat anything. :(

Probably under less wet conditions the fuzzy foliage is a deterrent but prolonged rains have rendered all regular "rules of thumb" unreliable so far this year.

If one lives in a climate where dampness is the norm some of the regular deterrent effects of certain plants aren't necessarily applicable.

I whined over abundance of soaked ground and will regret that once I'm toting watering cans endlessly in the heat likely to come. Dare we hope for consistent sunshine and warmth so plants start taking off and blooming? Sure.