5

I have read about the Sansevieria trifasciata, commonly called "snake plant", in Wikipedia (which doesn't suggest any specific snake repellent property).

However, this link suggests that the snakes don't like the appearance of S. trifasciata and they will start avoiding it the moment you plant it in your garden.

How can this plant be helpful, and to what point can we can rely on a plant to keep snakes away? Are there other plants that repel snakes?

The Flash
  • 2,791
  • 6
  • 24
  • 45
Madhumitha
  • 53
  • 1
  • 7
  • 1
    There is no research behind the article you quote. I would not believe it. – kevinskio Aug 18 '14 at 11:12
  • 2
    I recently posted info on how to deter venomous snakes from taking up residence in a yard. These tips will work for pretty much any kind of snake, venomous or not. http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/9921/how-can-i-discourage-venomous-snakes-from-living-in-my-property/ – TeresaMcgH Aug 19 '14 at 15:21

2 Answers2

5

Well, it's really not that useful in preventing snakes (some people even use snake plant in snake terrariums), so unless you like the look, I wouldn't go planting them all over your yard. It would be better to use a specialized product, like Snake-Be-Gone. Also, try to reduce/remove heaps, piles, or areas of brush, rocks, firewood, trash, or anywhere else they could shelter.

Where I live, there are mostly black rat snakes and garter snakes, both harmless to people and great rodent/insect control, so I leave them alone. I only get the occasional copperhead (last one... maybe 6 years ago?), which I dispatch, but you could also try controlling their food source, as suggested in itsmatt's answer.

J. Musser
  • 51,627
  • 21
  • 115
  • 320
  • What about _Tulbaghia violacea_ Harv. and _Nicotiana tabacum_ L.? Both are suggested too in the article. – BYJ Aug 17 '14 at 15:58
  • 1
    @BYJ Yeah, that article is mostly hogwash (in my not so humble opinion). Don't know about *Tulbaghia*, but tobacco won't work-I live surrounded by farms of tobacco, and there are plenty of snake in all the farms. – J. Musser Aug 18 '14 at 03:26
5

Elimination of any food source (mice are typical) is key and making the area unattractive to snakes goes a long way toward eliminating the problem. If they don't have places to hide or a ready food source, they're not likely to stick around. I'm not aware of any plants that actually prevent snakes from showing up.

You might be able to keep them out of the yard - say, the back yard - by putting up fencing that keeps them out, typically using hardware cloth to make it difficult/impossible for them to get into the yard.

Mothballs don't do anything despite the persistent rumor that they'll keep the snakes away. Long ago I tried this and it doesn't work. We backed to woods and still had snakes in the yard.

Again, if you make the area less attractive to snakes, they're not likely to stick around.

itsmatt
  • 5,182
  • 17
  • 19