Do Gopher-Resistant Plants Actually Work?

Nurseries and garden centers throughout Southern California sell plants labeled as "gopher resistant" — gopher spurge, crown imperials, lavender, rosemary, and others frequently appear on lists of plants gophers supposedly avoid. Homeowners understandably want to know whether changing their plant palette can reduce or eliminate gopher problems. The honest answer is: to a limited degree, under specific conditions, for some plants — but planting selection alone is not a gopher control strategy.

The Plants That Have Some Evidence

Gopher spurge (Euphorbia lathyris) is the plant most consistently cited as gopher-repellent and has the most supporting evidence among the candidates. The plant produces a milky latex sap that is toxic and irritating. Some research and field observation suggests that gophers avoid areas where gopher spurge is actively growing with intact root systems. The key limitations: the effect is localized to the immediate root zone, the plant is an annual or biennial requiring replanting, and determined gophers in high-pressure environments will tunnel past it. It is a legitimate supplemental tool, not a standalone solution.

Plants with strongly aromatic roots — lavender, rosemary, catmint, and some salvias — are sometimes avoided in low-pressure situations, possibly because the strong volatile compounds are unpleasant underground. However, field observations from professional gopher control work consistently show gophers feeding on roots of lavender, rosemary, and other "resistant" plants when food options are limited or population pressure is high.

Plants Commonly Claimed to Be Resistant That Are Not

Garlic and onions are frequently listed as gopher-resistant. They are not. As discussed in our vegetable garden article, alliums are actually attractive to gophers and are eaten readily. This is one of the most persistent and least accurate claims in the gopher-resistant plant literature.

Gopher plant lists from general gardening sources are frequently compiled from anecdotal reports and propagated without verification. Many plants appear on resistant lists because a gardener once had gophers that happened not to eat a specific plant — which is not the same as that plant repelling gophers. Gophers make food selections based on availability, population density, and individual preference, which varies considerably.

The Real Limitation: Source Populations

Even if plant selection successfully deterred gophers from feeding on specific roots, it would do nothing to prevent gophers from tunneling through your property. A gopher that tunnels through a yard looking for acceptable food still disrupts the entire tunnel route, damages irrigation systems, and undermines hardscape — regardless of whether it ultimately eats the plants it encounters. Gopher damage to a property is not only root feeding; it is the entire tunnel system infrastructure.

The Most Effective Passive Protection

Hardware cloth barriers — 1/2-inch galvanized mesh — installed beneath raised beds and around the root zones of high-value plants provide reliable physical protection. Unlike plant selection, hardware cloth works regardless of gopher preference, population pressure, or seasonal food availability. It is more labor-intensive to install but far more reliable than plant selection as a passive protection strategy.

Related Articles

• Wire Mesh Barriers — Do They Actually Stop Gophers?
• How to Gopher-Proof a Raised Vegetable Garden
• DIY vs. Professional Gopher Control

Call 909-599-4711 — plant selection supplements but does not replace professional gopher control for properties with active pressure.