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Last update on August 10 , 2023

Do you live in gopher country ? I feel your infliction ! Gophers are a giant nuisance here on the Central Coast of California . Without cages , they ’ll use up and destroy everything we plant in the ground . Well , just about everything … gratefully , there are a act of works that pocket gopher do n’t like to eat . Read along for a list of over 50 awesome gopher - resistant plant for your landscape . As an added bonus , many of them happen to be drouth - large-minded and California natives !

A number of gopher resistant plants are arranged in a tight clump before they are planted into the ground.

I ’ve break this article down into a double-dyed list of all gopher turtle resistant plants , as well as disjoined list of gopher tolerant California native plant and fruit Tree / shrubs for easy reference . But first , let ’s concisely familiarize ourselves with Gopherus polypemus , a few disclaimers , and non - toxic gopher control method like gopher cage .

About Gophers

Gophers , also known as scoop gopher , are burrow rodents aboriginal to North and Central America . There are over 30 different Minnesotan metal money , and are mostly found in thewestern half of the United Statesas well as Florida .

Gophers are known for their weird ability to ruin garden , farms , and ornamental landscaping . They produce vast networks of subterranean tunnels , and provide telling mounds and hole at the soil surface . Gopher primarilyeat plant roots , Tuber , and bulbs , which can easily stunt or pop plants . They often pull entire plants underground ! Our veggies would n’t stand a chance if they were n’t planted in enkindle garden beds with ironware cloth below . ascertain how to work up gopher - proof raised garden beds here .

Gophers are much larger than field mouse and breakwater , and significantly more destructive . Voles also eat some vegetation but less hungrily , and moles favor non - plant food ( e.g. insects , chuck , and worms ) .

A diagram of the lower 48 US states, there is a key just below the map showing three different rodents which each has its own specific color for identification. For the map, moles are blue, voles are green, and gophers are red. The corresponding map shows the rodents spread across the US but mostly only the western half contains gophers while moles and voles can mostly been found throughout.

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A gravel hardscaped garden is shown with wood raised beds. Next to the garden area there is a pollinator garden that is lined with rocks, it contains many rosemary, fuchsia, yarrow, lavender, salvia, and lantana.

What plants do gophers avoid?

spermophile incline to fend off industrial plant with astrong smell , biting flavor , toxic sap , or similar irritating trait that make the roots , leaves , or stems less likeable to snack on . Rosemary , eucalyptus tree , oleander , and gopher purge are choice example . In many casing , gopher resistant plants are also undesirable to voles , deer , rabbit , or other rodent . On the other script , some works are simplyirresistibleto gophers . In our garden , gophers are draw to common fig tree trees , vervain , andartichoke plantslike potato chips !

Disclaimer and Gopher Cages

Gophers are n’t usually draw in to the “ Gopherus polypemus resistant ” plant listed below and should leave them alone for the most part . Meaning , these plant sure wo n’t be their first choice when other nutrient sources are available . However , gophers may eat just about any plant if they ’re hungry enough!Young plant ( of any type ) are especially vulnerable to gopher damage .

So , even if a works is consider gopher tolerant , it may be prudent to institute new or valuable industrial plant ( for instance expensive tree ) in gopher turtle cages – particularly if you ’re dealing with a very active gopher population . cage may not be necessary with just a couple of gophers around . It ’s also crucial to take down that the Gopherus polypemus electric resistance can vary depending on the variety or cultivar of these plants .

For lesson , we ’re presently planting scads of aboriginal pocket gopher resistant plant – rock roses , catmint , yarrow , and ocean daisies – but are still using flexible ( somewhat protective ) gopher cages to extend the works some level of protection while they get found . rolling wave - on mesh“speed baskets”(available inone gallonor5 - gallonsizes ) are cheaper andmucheasier to puzzle out with thansturdier firm wire cagesorDIY hardware material basketball hoop , but they ’ll degrade with time and gopher do now and again chew through them . I would NOT use them for gopher - susceptible plants , but they ’re perfect for this instance !

A tow way image collage, the first image shows a feijoa plant sitting on top of soil inside of a 5 gallon gopher cage. The next image shows the feijoa after while it has been planted halfway, the soil only coming up to the top half of the rootball to show how the cage covers the entire root ball. More soil will be added to complete bury the root ball. Feijoa is a great, edible, gopher resistant plant to grow.

When in doubt , utilize a gopher John Milton Cage Jr. to protect your plant .

Non-Toxic Gopher Control

Whatever you do , pleasedo NOT use ground squirrel bait or poisonto control gopher . It puts ALL animals at risk of secondary intoxication and death – including domesticated pets and wildlife ! All too often , queer canines , khat , birds of prey , opossums , or other piranha eat poisoned gophers ( or rats ) and become poisoned themselves . Learn about alternative non - toxic gopher ascendancy methods here , including pre - made Gopherus polypemus coop , DIY coop , raise bed trade protection , pouched rat repellant , natural predatory animal , trap , and more .

Gopher Resistant Plants: Complete List

Here is a inclination of over 50 industrial plant that gophers are not appeal to . An asterisk * denotes plants I have direct experience with and can in person confirm are not bothered by goffer – at least in our garden ! And we ’ve been gardening where gophers are rampant for well over a decade .

continued below …

Gopher resistant plant list (continued)

Gopher Resistant Fruit Trees or Shrubs

If us mankind care to eat something , gophers probably do too ! regrettably , that means there are very few gopher resistant edible plant :

It ’s also been reported that gophers do n’t like to consume mulberry trees , avocado Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , apricots or plum trees , but we ’ve had a mulberry and avocado kill by gophers ! In fact , they chewed right through the hoop and deplete all the root down to a center . To be safe , I suggest putting all edibles and yield trees in goffer baskets where gopher are a known menace .

Gopher Resistant California Native Plants

Landscaping with native plant pack a punch of benefits . Native industrial plant support local biodiversity , wildlife and pollinators , are generally less maintenance , require no plant food , and here in California , have to be drouth - kind . Even better , many California native plants are also gopher resistant ! The unity that could endure constant Gopherus polypemus pressure here are the 1 that have persisted and boom .

Sources : Personal experience , California Native Plant Society , Mostly Natives , Tasty Landscape , SF Gate

And that concludes this lesson on gopher resistant plants.

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Many lavender flowers make up the image with a bee feeding on the featured flower that is in focus.

A close up image of a small bottlebrush plant with a number of frilly red flowers. Bark mulch lays on the ground below the plant while a screen of green plants is in the background with a number of purple and pink flowers.

A newly planted ceanothus is featured, the edges of its gopher cage is popping up out of the soil even though it is a gopher resistant plant.

Culinary sage is growing amongst pincushion, salvia, lavender, cosmos flowers, and an agave in a large ceramic pot. A wall of green plants is accented by the variety of purple and white flowers.

A well grown in fence line that contains feijoa, bougainvillea, rosemary, fig tree, yarrow, and jasmine. A few larger trees are visible amongst the many plants.

A close up image of the canopy of a strawberry tree, a few bunches of the strawberry like seed balls hang from the limbs. In the background, a tall and towering eucalyptus tree stands in the background.

A close up image of a pineapple guava branch with multiple flowers on it, beyond lies the rest of the bush which is covered in flowers. Pineapple guava or feijoa is a great gopher resistant plant for many growing zones.

DeannaCat is holding a large pomegranate fruit that has been harvested from a tree that sits just beyond. Many pomegranates are still hanging in the tree, the trees limbs heavy with fruit.

DeannaCat’s hand is underneath the stump remains of an avocado root ball which has been eaten down leaving no roots whatsoever, even the main root has been chewed through.

A large light purple rock rose flower with golden center is the focus of the image. Black sage branches are shooting up beyond with one of them in front of the rock rose flower, a few whitish flowers are coming off its bracts. Both of these are gopher resistant plants.

A close up image of a branch of a flowering golden monkey flower, the rest of the plant and blooms are blurred in the background of the images focus. Monkey flower is a gopher resistant plant that is native to California.

DeannaCat signature, keep on growing.