We all love Aussie possums…until they start tearing into your vegie patch and flower garden! If you’ve got lots of bite marks in your lettuce heads or torn daisy petals, the culprit is definitely a possum. Now, although many of you would never give up the chance to provide a safe environment for these nocturnal snackers, those with a vegie garden may need some help deterring their local pesky possums.
Find out what possums enjoy eating so you can provide ample protection for them, and 3 plant options that could help steer them away from your precious vegetables.
What possums love to eat
According to our garden editor, Jenny Dillon, when possums are hungry, they head straight for young and tender leafy material. This is why your lettuce, leafy greens and just-planted broccoli, silverbeet and spinach are being targeted. For flowers, anything with a soft petal will be the first choice.
Possums also love native plants, so much so that some have evolved to develop spikes, tough leaves and scents to deter them from being damaged, like the finger lime tree (Citrus australasica).
3 different ways to deter possums using plants
If moving possums away from your garden beds is the goal, plant these kinds of plants along the perimeter:
Spiky plants
Just as natives have evolved to include spikes to deter wildlife, you can too in your garden. Use plants like snake plant, agave and cactus species to keep possums from snacking on your more important plants.
Scented plants
Many possum-prone gardeners have found success by using scented plants in and around their garden. Strong-smelling herbs like rosemary, mint and thyme are usually avoided by possums, as are lavender and plants in the allium family (including onion, garlic and agapanthus).
Capsiceae plants
Specific plants in the Nightshade or Solanaceae family have a specific chemical that possums do not like. This taxonomic tribe includes capsicum, peppers and chilli plants. Possums won’t munch on any of these plants, so they act as a great border plant in your garden. If you don’t want to grow them, Jenny also says that throwing a few whole chillies in your garden bed or making a chilli spray will also deter possums.
Plants that lure possums away
Plant a native, and your resident possum will never look at your vegie patch again. Possums love the young, tender leaves on gum trees, and the nectar-heavy flowers from grevillea and bottlebrush. Although some of these plants may be spiky or scented, they’re usually willing to bypass those obstacles for a delicious feed.
Jenny’s final advice? “What I do is feed my possums, so they leave my garden alone.” She does this by keeping her gum trees easily accessible and sometimes putting out fruit scraps to keep her local possums happy.
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