Some types of flowers naturally deter animals such as squirrels from tearing up gardens.
After going to all the work of planning, digging, planting and caring for your flowers, the last thing you want is to have them torn up by tree squirrels. Some flowers naturally repel these annoying critters, however. You can plant these squirrel-deterrent flowers among tulips or other flowers the squirrels may like, or plant only these flowers if your area is heavily populated by squirrels. Does this Spark an idea?
Allium
The "Ambassador" variety of allium flowers are a natural squirrel repellent.
This easy-to-grow perennial ornamental onion bulb has more than 750 known species. Though it comes in a variety of heights and colors, the most common hues are blue, purple, white and yellow, and the majority of the popular allium varieties form an orb at the end of the stock. Alliums have a slight garlicky odor and taste, which is what keeps squirrels away from the showy plants.
Daffodil
These cheery little flowers are easy to grow throughout most of the U.S., and they last from 6 weeks to 6 months, depending on which species you grow. Daffodils are definite squirrel repellents--the bulbs and leaves contain poisonous crystals that only certain insects can eat without detriment. While they won't eat daffodils, they may relocate them, so make sure to plant them deeper than usual or place plastic mesh over the bulbs to prevent them from digging.
Eranthis
Winter aconite are bright early bloomers and are poisonous to squirrels.
Eranthis, more commonly known as winter aconite, is one of the earliest bloomers, flowering as early as January in mild climates and later in snowy areas. This plant is in the buttercup family, and accordingly, is most commonly yellow. All parts of the plant are poisonous, thus serving as a squirrel deterrent.
Crocus tomasinianus
Though crocus plants are one of squirrels' favorites, there is a variety that they don't seem to like, according to the Chicago Botanic Garden. That variety is the ruby giant "Tommie," as the British call it. The foul-tasting, ruby giants bloom in early spring, opening up into large, royal-purple flowers.
Fritillary
The nodding flowers of fritillaries smell foul to squirrels.
These bell-shaped flowers have a slightly unpleasant, skunk-like scent that is said to repel squirrels. The large yellow, purple, white, green or orange nodding flowers can grow up to 3 feet tall, but take about 5 years to bloom after being planted.
Foxtail lily
In addition to having a foul taste, foxtail lilies grow in tall spikes, reaching from 5 to 9 feet tall. The height alone might be enough to scare squirrels away. When in bloom, foxtail lilies are show-stoppers, covered with tiny star-shaped flowers in shades of pink, white, orange and yellow.
Tags: feet tall, flowers naturally, foxtail lilies, nodding flowers, purple white