10 Slug Resistant Plants: Your Guide to a Slug-Free Garden

Slugs, slugs, slugs – they appear in the dead of night and eat all of your plants. Here at Wonky Shed HQ, they even make it into the house somehow and have been known to get at the houseplants as well. While these slimy friends play a role in our ecosystem by helping create compost, they can be quite the troublemakers in our beloved gardens. 

You don’t need to resort to harsh measures such as slug pellets. Nature has blessed us with a variety of slug-resistant plants, and today, I’m thrilled to share with you ten of these hardy heroes. From vibrant flowers to sturdy greens, let’s dive into the world of slug-resistant plants and keep your garden beautiful and intact!

1. Astilbe (Astilbe spp.)

Known for their feathery, plume-like flowers, Astilbes are a delight in any garden. Not only do they add a burst of colour, but they are also unappealing to our slimy friends. Plant them in partial shade and watch them thrive with minimal slug interference.

2. Ferns (Various Species)

Ferns are not just ancient and fascinating; they are also remarkably slug-resistant. With their lush green fronds, they make a great addition to any shady garden spot. Ferns like the Dryopteris (Wood Fern) are particularly good at keeping slugs at bay.

3. Euphorbias (Euphorbia spp.)

These diverse and unique plants exude a milky sap that slugs find unattractive. Euphorbias come in various shapes and sizes, adding interest and texture to your garden while deterring slugs effectively.

4. Hardy Geraniums (Geranium spp.)

Not to be confused with Pelargoniums, the common bedding geranium, hardy geraniums are perennial and slug-resistant. They provide delightful blooms and are great for borders and underplanting.

5. Japanese Anemone (Anemone × hybrida)

These elegant perennials, with their delicate flowers, are surprisingly resistant to slugs. They thrive in partial shade and bring a touch of grace to late summer and autumn gardens.

Slug Resistant Bedding Plants

Moving on to the stars of our show – slug-resistant bedding plants! These beauties are perfect for adding colour and life to your beds and borders without becoming a feast for slugs – many are also easy to grow if you’re just starting and want slug and snail resistant plants to get going.

• Begonias (Begonia spp.): Begonias are a popular choice, offering vibrant flowers and foliage. They’re generally left alone by slugs and are perfect for brightening up your garden.
• Lavender (Lavandula spp.): With its delightful scent and stunning purple blooms, lavender is a wonderful addition to any garden. Its aromatic nature is a natural slug repellent.
• Marigolds (Tagetes spp.): Bright and cheerful, marigolds are not just pretty; they are also unattractive to slugs. Plant them around your garden for a splash of colour and natural slug defence.

6. Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)

This charming plant with its scalloped leaves and yellowish-green flowers is a tough one for slugs to chew on. It’s a wonderful edging plant and looks particularly stunning after rain, with water droplets glistening on its leaves.

7. Foxgloves (Digitalis spp.)

Foxgloves are a quintessential English garden favourite. While they are a treat for the eyes and the bees, slugs tend to steer clear of them. Many varieties such as the ‘Panther’ variety are perennials and will come back year after year with beautiful blooms.

8. Hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.)

Slugs generally avoid these bushy plants with their large, showy blooms. They make a great statement in any garden and come in a variety of colours and forms. I like to grow a few smaller varieties in pots as they do well to add shape and colour – they are also long flowering as long as you keep dead-heading.

9. Hostas (Hosta spp.)

While some Hostas can be slug magnets (and I’ve certainly seen my fair share of hosta slug damage), varieties with thicker, textured leaves like ‘Sum and Substance’ tend to be more resistant. These leafy perennials are excellent for shade gardens.

10. Sedum (Sedum spp.)

Sedums, with their succulent leaves and star-shaped flowers, are not only drought-tolerant but also largely ignored by slugs. They are great for adding structure and interest to your garden, most popular when added to a rockery style area in your garden or around a small wildlife pond like ours. 

Conclusion

And there you have it – ten fantastic slug-resistant plants to keep your garden thriving and slug-free! With these plants, you can create a stunning, diverse, and low-maintenance garden that both you and the slugs can enjoy – from a safe distance, of course!

If you’re still struggling with these slimy little critters, then remember it’s always better to use natural slug repellents rather than things such as slug pellets which can be toxic to both animals and your garden in general.