Do Roses Attract Snakes? When, Why, and How to Deter Them

None of us like to think we’re adding plants into our yard that attract unwanted visitors. Snakes are generally regarded as unwanted visitors. So when it comes to roses … do roses attract snakes?

This is what I’m going over today.

Roses will only attract snakes indirectly. Snakes focus on food and mating. If a mate or a potential meal is seated in a rose bush, or halfway up a climbing rose, then that is their target. The rose’s thorns and fragrance may also act as minor deterrents, but thorns can also provide a safe area.

With the quick summary in mind, let’s head into more details, and I’ll go on to below how you can deter snakes from your garden.

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What attracts snakes?

There are a variety of things that can attract snakes, including food sources, potential mates, and hiding places in areas where they’re likely to encounter lots of prey.

Snakes are attracted to areas with thick vegetation where they can find rodents or other small animals to eat. This is mostly at ground level …or low level.

They also like places where they can bask in the sun …or hide from predators. Snakes are not herbivores, of course, they are carnivores.

Do roses attract snakes – Roses themselves rarely attract snakes for two main reasons.

However, snakes have been found in rose bushes, so there is a chance you might find one there. This is most likely in-between blooming periods.

Do roses attract snakes?

Here I’ll go over a few main points pertinent to the question do roses attract snakes…

Terrain

The type of terrain is not necessarily an issue for snakes. After all, snakes can climb many surfaces, including walls.

But unless they are focussed on prey or a mate, then they are not inclined to head into a rose bush unless it’s for cover from nearby predators. Because thorns do offer some means of protection.

Visual cues

In addition to smell, snakes may also be attracted to roses by visual cues. Roses are often brightly colored, and some species even have patterns that could resemble a snake.

It’s possible that a snake sees a rose and mistakes it for another snake. This could be especially true if the rose and it’s canes are a similar color to the snake

This scenario is likely to result in the snake attacking the rose, rather than being attracted to it.

So while we can’t say for sure if roses attract snakes, we do know that they can be attracted to certain properties that roses exhibit.

It’s possible that the smell or visual cues of a rose might attract a snake, but it’s also possible that the rose itself is unappealing to snakes.

Fragrance

Snakes smell by using their tongues to sample the air.

The tongue picks up particles and then sends them to the Jacobson’s organ located on the roof of their mouth.

This allows snakes to smell prey, potential mates, and danger.

Roses produce a range of compounds that contribute to their fragrance. Some of these, like terpenes, are also found in many other plants. I’ll get on to that shortly.

It’s likely that some of these compounds are also detectable by snakes.

However, we don’t know which compounds in roses, if any, would be appealing to them.

It’s also possible that different snake species have different preferences when it comes to the smells they encounter.

However, snakes generally dislike strong smells as it interferes and masks their need to smell the area. So, it’s unlikely that roses would be particularly attractive to snakes.

So you might now wonder…

Do roses repel snakes?

Roses do produce some compounds that could potentially repel snakes. One of the 400 compounds such as phenethyl alcohol, might be effective. This compound is sometimes used as an insect repellent.

But it would take a lot of roses to produce enough phenethyl alcohol to have any meaningful effect on snakes. Plus, snakes can discern more than one scent at a time and so can likely discount any rose fragrance.

It’s more likely that other smells in the environment would be strong enough against the potential scent repellent properties of roses.

So on this point, while we can’t say for certain whether or not snakes are attracted to roses, we can probably say that roses don’t repel them due to fragrance.

If you’re concerned about snakes in your garden, it’s best to take precautions against them regardless of whether or not they’re attracted to roses.

So do roses attract snakes? Well if that is likely in your yard, then there is help to deter them. We know there are certain plants whose fragrance is too powerful for snakes.

Plants that repel snakes

While we are discussing roses, we should also mention that a rose is not likely to be the only flower in your yard. Companion planting with roses is very popular too, so if you’re concerned about snakes in your area then you may want to check on your other plants too.

If you’re looking for plants that are particularly good at repelling snakes, then here are the best choices. At the top of my list are marigolds and lemongrass.

Marigolds

Marigolds not only make excellent companion plants for roses as they help to deter pests, but they also help to deter snakes.

The strong scent of marigolds is thought to be what puts snakes off, so planting them around the perimeter of your garden should help to keep snakes away.

Find out more about roses and marigolds as companion plants.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is another plant with a strong scent that can help to deter snakes. It also won’t overshadow your prized rose bush!

Lemongrass is also a great choice for companion planting with roses as it helps to repel pests like mosquitoes.

And like roses, lemongrass likes it hot, with full sun and well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0 which matches roses perfectly.

Mint

Mint is another plant with a strong scent that snakes seem to dislike. You can plant mint in pots around your roses or even just leave a few sprigs of mint near areas where snakes might enter your garden.

Plus, you get to harvest and use the mint too.

Garlic

Garlic is yet another plant with a strong scent that can help to deter snakes. You can plant garlic cloves around the base of your rose bushes in Fall, or chop some up and sprinkle it around the perimeter of your garden to keep pests away from all your blooms.

Garlic protects roses from pests, like aphids, snails, and even ants. But also help prevent fungal diseases like black spot. They are also a ready supply of garlic for you too.

Onions

Onions, like garlic, are a member of the Allium family which I feature in my rose companion plants list.

As such, they have a strong odor that many pests dislike. You can either grow onions in your garden or just leave out some chopped onions near areas where snakes might enter.

And of course, you can opt to harvest the onions too! You can also make a spray to deter pests by mixing water and chopped onions.

Do roses attract snakes ~ More roses help 🌹

There are a number of ways to keep snakes away from your roses. By growing more plants and flowers that they don’t like, you can help make your garden less attractive to them. Some other things that snakes don’t like include:- Coffee grounds– Citrus peels- Chili peppers- Eggshells.

You can also try using snake repellent sprays available from amazon around your garden. However, be sure to read the label carefully before using any products, as some can be harmful to plants.

I hope this has been useful in answering the question “do roses attract snakes”. Be sure to check out my other rose articles below, and my recommended tools and resources.