Are Canna bulbs safe from Squirrels

Nov 29, 2007 Last reply: 2 years ago 4 Replies

I'm planning to grow a bed of Canna next year. However there are lot of squirrels and skunks around my house. Is this a bad idea ? I can try to plant the bulbs deeper and mixed with chilly powder/blood meal. But does squirrels also damage the foliage and flowers ?


Canna's derive from rhizomes, not bulbs and squirrels and skunks do nothing to them. Do a search to find out how deeply to plant them and know they are not hardy much farther north than zone 8, but one caveat is sometimes they are okay if on the south wall of a house with sun all day. They turn to mush in the ground.

Any idea where you live?

I doubt that skunks would be any problem unless they accidentally dug up your plants while hunting insects and grubs -- their favorite foods. Squirrels on the other hand aren't above eating almost any sort of vegetable matter they can lay their paws on when they get hungry enough. [I have watched them very deliberately picking and eating mushrooms from my heavily mulched beds after a long rainy spell] But with luck, even if they do get into your beds if you plant deeply enough (but not so deeply as to prevent proper growth) the squirrels may not find your buried treasures or may not even want them. One thing for sure, if you don't plant them you will never get to enjoy them.

Wrong! Squirrels DO dig up Canna and eat everything from the roots up to the leaves. And make a mess throwing dirt everywhere.

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