Spring brings more than just flowers into gardens - it also brings a surge of unwanted visitors. Among the most persistent are squirrels, which may look harmless as they dart across lawns, but can cause significant damage by digging up bulbs, chewing plants, gnawing wood and even getting into homes.
Because squirrels are highly food-motivated, they tend to return repeatedly to any garden where they find an easy meal. While removing all potential food sources such as nuts, fruits and vegetables would be the most direct solution, that is rarely practical for gardeners trying to grow their own produce. As a result, many have turned to natural deterrents instead.
On the Facebook group Everything Gardening, one user, Sandra Evans, asked: "What type of flowers or herbs can I plant to keep squirrels away from my garden? They're attacking my tomato plants constantly." Her post prompted dozens of responses from fellow gardeners, many of whom recommended using strongly scented or naturally unappealing plants as a deterrent. Among the most popular suggestions were daffodils, marigolds, lavender, hyacinths, alliums and geraniums - all plants known for either strong scents or naturally bitter or toxic compounds.
One user said she had successfully driven squirrels away after planting daffodils throughout her garden. "I planted daffodils all over my garden last year and the squirrels have not returned," she wrote. "I've been fighting them for years, but this has finally done the trick." Another commenter highlighted marigolds as an effective deterrent saying they had worked well in her own garden.
Garden experts say there is some logic behind these claims. Daffodils contain naturally occurring toxins, including lycorine, which make the bulbs bitter and unpleasant to squirrels, discouraging them from digging them up. Marigolds, meanwhile, produce a strong, distinctive scent that can mask the smell of nearby plants, making it harder for squirrels to detect food sources such as bulbs, fruit and vegetables. Lavender is another commonly recommended option. While popular with gardeners for its fragrance and appearance, its strong scent is often disliked by pests, including squirrels, rats, foxes and even cats.
Many of these plants - including marigolds and daffodils - are also well suited to pots and containers, allowing gardeners to move them around the garden to protect vulnerable areas as needed. Other plants such as alliums, hyacinths and geraniums are also believed to be unappealing to squirrels due to their natural chemical compounds. Some gardeners even suggest using them strategically, such as planting them alongside tulips, which are particularly prone to being dug up, to help protect more vulnerable flowers.
