Re: Shade, Gopher Resistance

I have given talks and presentations on rock gardening with gophers.  It is a subject I am all too familiar with myself.  
We encourage a multi-pronged method of dealing with gophers:

1. Plant mat-forming plants so that some shred of the plant remains rooted when the gopher comes up in the middle of it. 
2. Plant self-seeders.
3. Plant those few plants considered gopher resistant, bearing in mind that even if the gopher doesn't eat the plant, few plants are keen on cavernous openings occuring in the soil where their roots used to be. 
4. Use cages, again bearing in mind that a cage does not protect the plant from undermining and loss of soil moisture and root mass when the gopher creates the afore-mentioned cavernous openings in the soil. 
5. Trap, trap, trap. 

Although my own focus is on sunnier gardens, we do have some experience with shadier sites.  Gophers do seem to ignore Heuchera.  Unfortunately, the voles love them.  
Some of my favorite gopher resistant shade combos are Heucheras with Pacific coast iris. Add digitalis species.  Mimulus has also worked well for us, surviving many gopher infestations.  The iris are eaten by some gophers in some gardens, but resistant in most gardens.  They are also easy to cage if necessary.  
You might try some of the dwarf veronicas.  Most prefer sun but can handle shade. (I am thinking of V. 'Waterperry' and its ilk.) Many of the ornamental oreganos can also tolerate a great deal of shade, and some actually prefer it, such as the golden leaved cultivars. 

Good luck.  I hate gophers. 

Rebecca Lance
Granite Gardens Rare Plants
www.ggrareplants.com



On Nov 7, 2005, at 12:23 AM, mediterranean climate gardening e-mail forum for gardeners in these climates throughout the world wrote:

Shade, Gopher Resistance


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