A well-planted garden or water feature can easily become a lizard’s favorite haunt. Often wandering into private backyards and homes for shelter and food, these reptiles may be both beneficial and troublesome. On the one hand, they can help control insect populations by consuming spiders, ants, beetles, flies, and ticks. However, some types of lizards can be a bane to gardeners because they may nibble on plants, leave unsightly droppings, and attract predators.
Lizards thrive in virtually all types of landscapes and climate conditions. These highly evolved animals are experts at using the environment to blend in, hide, and hunt. With anatomy made for stealthily climbing up stems and digging through loose soils, they may be found all throughout your property. As they travel, they can serve as vectors of pathogens and parasites. Larger species, such as monitor lizards, can be especially dangerous as they bite.
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It’s not uncommon for lizards to eventually move indoors after exploring the garden. Lured by warmth and moisture, they often scuttle into kitchens, basements, and bathrooms. The best way to reduce your chances of having to interact with lizards involves removing their food source. Growing the right sets of repellent plants, while taking care to avoid the species that attract them, should also help.
1) Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
One of the most commercially important members of the Lamiaceae (mint) family, peppermint is a wonderful perennial herb. Its ornamental features make it favorable as a specimen plant or as a pondside attraction. Its most useful components are found within the cells of its fragrant foliage. These contain a combination of potent phytochemicals with pharmacological, culinary, and industrial uses.
Released when the leaves are mechanically damaged, peppermint oil repels many herbivorous pests and insects. It contains menthone and pulegone, both of which are scientifically proven to have pesticidal properties. The scent and the menthol sensation produced by these chemicals prevent lizards, and many of their favored prey items, from coming too close to the plant. Frequent harvesting to release the shoot’s oils may help control lizard populations around the herb garden.
Potted peppermint plants, cuttings, or pure extracts of the oil should also control lizard infestations indoors. These scent-sensitive reptiles despise the minty scent, so you may apply the oils to the areas they frequent. A water-based, peppermint spray should work wonders if it is used in the right locations. Make sure to target crevices, openings, and walls around the foundations of your home.
2) Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
A stately herb with immense culinary importance, rosemary is set apart by its deep-green, needlelike leaves and its leathery, upright stems. This evergreen species is tolerant of a wide range of temperatures, but it grows best in hardiness zones 7 – 10. Drought-tolerant, it is an ideal pest-repellent plant for arid locations with relatively infertile substrates.
Desert lizards and other dry climate pests are likely to keep away from dense stands of rosemary. Apart from being bitter and tough, the leaves contain an intensely potent and aromatic oil. This has chemicals like rosmarinic acid and camphor, which defend the plant from potential grazers and neutralize disease-causing microbes. The oil can act as an eco-friendly insect repellent with effects that extend to larger pests, such as snakes and lizards.
Simply collecting rosemary cuttings and distributing them around key parts of your home and garden should deter a great number of pests. To prevent seasonal infestations of lizards, you may use a rosemary-infused repellent spray or apply this species’ pure extracts around areas that attract pests. Rosemary oil should double as an antimicrobial substance to prevent the spread and growth of unwanted bacteria.
3) Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)
Lemongrass is a remarkably versatile plant for tropical to subtropical gardens. This grass-like herb boasts a rapid growth rate in well-draining substrates, particularly in plots exposed to full sun and warm temperatures. The regular provision of moisture should maintain its lush appearance and encourage it to thrive as a natural barrier against pests. Its slender, lengthy, and narrow leaves emit a strong, lemon-like fragrance when they are crushed.
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Lizards dislike both the aroma and taste of lemongrass leaves, so they are unlikely to claim a territory near this plant’s dense stands. Rows of lemongrass can be planted around parts of the garden that are terrorized by grazers. Potted lemongrass can also be placed close to entryways, where the scent of the leaves may cause wild animals to think twice before proceeding.
Citral and geraniol, both of which play crucial roles in lemongrass essential oil, have insecticidal and microbial properties. When released into the air, these compounds are powerful enough to deter scent-sensitive reptiles and keep them at bay. Moreover, they should repel many of the insects that lizards favor as food, giving them less of an incentive to lay claim to your garden.
4) Eucalyptus trees (Eucalyptus spp.)
Eucalyptus trees are known for their adaptability to various climates, their numerous commercial uses, and their incredible value to wildlife. In their native range, these trees have a rapid growth rate and can serve as natural windbreaks. Their canopies, trunks, and root systems are used by many animals as habitats and sources of food. Their aromatic leaves are also notable, especially as they contain pharmaceutically important compounds.
The refreshing fragrance of eucalyptus oils is produced by a combination of eucalyptol, limonene, and cineole. These have varied concentrations depending on species or habitat features, but one thing’s for sure – they make for great natural repellents against pests. Thriving eucalyptus trees can be inhospitable habitats for lizards, so they are ideal for pest-repellent gardens that require ample coverage and vertical structure.
The pungent scent given off by evergreen eucalyptus trees is strengthened when the leaves are mechanically damaged. Extracts of oils from the following species should have a high chance of preventing lizard infestations – blue gum (E. globulus), lemon eucalyptus (E. citriodora), and broad-leaved peppermint (E. dives).
5) Common rue (Ruta graveolens)
Common rue is generally toxic to many animals when it is ingested in large quantities. It’s highly unlikely that wild animals will eat enough of its leaves to experience their ill effects, however, because the scent and taste alone should throw them off after the first bite. Lizards will certainly find this herb unappealing. They are likely to stay a respectable distance away from its well-maintained rows.
Packed with compounds like rutin, coumarins, and flavonoids, the essential oil of common rue has a pungent aroma and a bitter flavor. When released from within the plant’s leaves and stems, the oil can create a distinct scent cloud that would be deemed unpleasant by any approaching lizards. It deters grazers by masking the appealing scents of edible plants, causing them to search for food in other areas.
Exercise caution when growing this plant in areas that may be frequented by pets or children. Keep in mind that direct contact with its oils can cause skin irritations. Consumption of the plant’s sap may cause serious digestive symptoms.
6) Stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus)
As suggested by its common name, H. foetidus is distinguished by its odd scent. The unpleasant odor, which is strongly emitted by freshly crushed leaves, should send lizards and other pests running in the opposite direction. Musky and pungent, the scent of both the foliage and blooms is often compared to that of decaying or rotting matter. This clearly explains this species’ other common name, dungwort!
An evergreen perennial, stinking hellebore thrives in hardiness zones 5 – 9. Despite its unappealing scent, it is frequently cultivated as a flowering ornamental. In fact, its physical qualities outweigh just enough of its drawbacks to have earned it the RHS Award of Garden Merit. This winter-to-spring bloomer produces the cheeriest clusters of bell-shaped flowers.
Toxic to dogs, cats, and many leaf-eating grazers, stinking hellebore can cause severe digestive disorders and skin irritations. Its oils contain cytotoxic compounds like helleborine, saponin, and glycosides. These phytochemicals protect the plants from insects and grazers. Their formulations are especially potent in plants that are grown in optimal conditions. Partial shade and moist substrates are necessary for hellebore to provide its many benefits.
7) Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
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Species listed under the Lavandula genus are, by far, some of the most ecologically beneficial plants to cultivate in a pest-free garden. These phenomenal perennials are set apart by their narrow, grey-green leaves and their towering spikes of purple inflorescences. Their alluring scent, pleasant enough to incite a calming sensory experience in us humans, can turn the garden into a springtime fantasy.
The lavender aroma that beckons to us is, interestingly, unappealing to many scent-sensitive animals. Produced by a complex mixture of phytochemicals, it helps protect the plant’s tender leaves from potential grazers. Popular species like English lavender (L. angustifolia), French lavender (L. pedunculata), and fringed lavender (L. dentata) have oils containing linalool and linalyl acetate. These have deterrent effects on some types of lizards.
Though lavender is highly adaptable to a wide variety of climate conditions, it is partial to dry conditions. If you’re located in a humid area but would like to reap the repellent benefits of lavender plants, consider using its store-bought extracts. Spray these in areas that may be frequented by troublesome lizards. Keep in mind that some reptiles may be repelled more than others, so mixing the oils with those of other herbs should be more effective.
8) Pencil cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli)
The pencil cactus is a succulent member of the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family, which is known for producing toxic substances. When wounded, the tissues of this species secrete a sticky, milky sap that can cause blisters upon contact with skin. The bitter-tasting sap contains a potent mixture of diterpenoids, flavonoids, and alkaloids. These are harsh enough to temporarily blind a person, so gloves are always recommended when handling this plant.
Given their keen sense of smell, lizards are usually smart enough to stay away from pots of pencil cactus and other Euphorbia species. For obvious reasons, those that are covered in thorns are also usually effective at repelling them. However, as intact plants neither produce a distinct fragrance nor actively secrete their toxic sap, this species seldom functions as a pest-repellent plant on its own. It should be grown alongside other strongly-scented herbs.
9) Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
A key part of every chef’s collection of flavorful herbs, thyme is a flowering perennial of the Lamiaceae (mint) family. It comes in an extensive selection of ornamental varieties and fragrant cultivars, many of which have received the RHS Award of Garden Merit. These truly wonderful plants meet a wealth of needs in both urban and rural gardens. Bushy yet relatively easy to maintain, they are often grown as traffic-tolerant ground covers.
This beneficial herb features small, aromatic leaves that grow best under full sun exposure. Tolerant of dry conditions, it can be used to repel lizards and other reptiles in semi-arid and hot regions. Its mechanism of pest repellence lies in its essential oil, which contains compounds like linalool, thymol, and carvacrol. Together, these compounds prevent the leaves from being heavily grazed by herbivores.
In terms of flavor, thyme leaves possess a slightly spicy quality. Their strong taste is displeasing to lizards, leaf-eating insects, and even rodents. You’ll be hard-pressed to find these animals seeking cover beneath dense mats of thyme stems. Note, however, that while this plant is mildly unpleasant to lizards, it is not guaranteed to be a reliable repellent. To compound its effects, grow it alongside some of the plants listed above.
10) Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis var. piperascenes)
Though the scent of peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is arguably one of the strongest among members of the mint family, it isn’t the only promising plant for repellent purposes. Japanese mint, a variety of field mint, is also known for being quite effective against scent-sensitive pests. Packed with clusters of dense, lance-shaped leaves, this perennial can help make your garden a lizard-free zone!
Japanese mint leaves and stems contain a potent essential oil with high concentrations of menthol, menthone, and limonene. These compounds help protect the leaves from grazers by serving as irritants. Their scent is unbearable to many animals, and their ingestion can cause painful digestive symptoms. While we, humans, can appreciate the unique flavor of mint compounds, you can count on lizards to find them unappealing.
If you intend to grow this mint variety as a pest-repellent plant, situate its clusters around herbs that may attract lizards. Their scent should help mask those of nearby plants while signaling the presence of potentially toxic substances to grazers. You may occasionally harvest the leaves, crush them up, and distribute them around key points in your backyard.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor