20 Slug-Proof Plants

Slugs and snails can wreak havoc in the garden, demolishing seedlings and decimating the leaves of larger plants such as hostas. While slug pellets are an effective deterrent, those containing metaldehyde can harm hedgehogs and other wildlife, while other forms of slug control can be time consuming and aren’t guaranteed to work.

It can be expensive and heartbreaking to keep growing the plants you know will be eaten completely, or at least ravaged beyond recognition. So why not stop? There are plenty of beautiful plants that slugs aren’t attracted to. Grow these, instead, and not only will your garden be easier to manage, but you’ll be happier, too, without the heartache of losing treasured plants to hungry molluscs.

Many plants have developed their own resistance to slugs and other leaf-munchers. Some, such as foxgloves and euphorbias, have toxic leaves, while others, such as stachys and pulmonaria, have developed thick or hairy foliage, which slugs and snails appear not to like. Swollen, succulent foliage such as those of sedums and sempervivums can deter slugs, too. In the vegetable patch it’s the aromatic and bitter-tasting leaves such as endive and Mediterranean herbs, which appear to put slugs off.

Alan Titchmarsh shares his favourite slug-proof plants, in this short video from BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine.

Browse our list of the best plants to grow that slugs don’t like to eat, below.

Aquilegias come in a variety of different colours and tolerate shade. They self seed readily and are perfect for drifting through the border.

• Buy aquilegias from Crocus, Sarah Raven and Thompson & Morgan

Penstemons