Javelina, also known as the skunk pig or the collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu), is a social mammal that frequently travels and feeds in herds. These ungulates belong to the family of New World pigs (Tayassuidae), so they are often mistaken for feral hogs or wild boars. Subtle differences in their physical anatomy distinguish them from one another.
Native to the deserts of Texas, Central America, and southward into northern Argentina, javelinas favor the environmental conditions of grasslands, woodlands, saguaros, and desert washes. In these habitats, they maintain a largely herbivorous diet. Rough shrubs and cacti are easy food for them, even if they have tough and spiny features. Whenever present, birds, rodents, and lizards may appeal to the more adventurous members of javelina herds.
Covered in a salt and pepper coat of fur, javelinas have sharp canines, short legs, and strong odors. Their pig-like noses are adept at sniffing out plants with nutritious root systems and protein-rich grub. They may occasionally wander into private landscapes, trampling delicate plants and dislodging substrates as they search for food. While physical barriers are the best means of keeping them out of yards, you may opt to deter them with strategically placed javelina-resistant or repellent plants.
1) Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
Set apart by its strongly-scented, needle-like, evergreen foliage, rosemary is a truly wondrous herb. A culinary favorite due to its distinct and slightly bitter flavor, it is now grown in many temperate parts of the world. Its ornamental features and environmental services make it an ideal herb to grow in gardens with predominantly sandy substrates.
Hardy to zones 7 – 10, rosemary can be cultivated in parts of the US that may be frequented by desert pests like javelinas. Their increasingly woody shoots allow for their use as border or screen plants. Able to grow to a full height of about 6.5 feet (2 meters), they can withstand harsh conditions caused by water shortages. Their phytochemical-rich leaves should repel most grazers and leaf-eating insects, forcing them to search for food elsewhere.
Now available in dozens of valuable cultivars, including some that have received the RHS Award of Garden Merit, rosemary can be placed in key areas of the garden to disperse its scent. In the absence of intact plants, you may use this species’ store-bought oil as a javelina-deterrent substance. Incorporate it into a water-based, environment-friendly spray and target zones with plants that tend to attract grazers.
2) Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
Chiefly grown for its oil-rich leaves and inflorescences, several types of lavender are now cultivated far beyond their native range. These attractive plants can serve as eye-catching additions to ornamental gardens and polished landscapes. Their vivid blooms, which may appear as early as May in warmer climates, attract desirable insects yet repel the most problematic pests.
The greyish-green leaves of lavender plants are packed with remarkably fragrant oils. These are usually industrially processed to meet the demands of the cosmetic, pharmacological, and culinary industries. Though their scents are known for evoking calmness and a sense of relaxation in us humans, they are notorious for repelling a diversity of grazers. The oils contain potent compounds, many of which have become vital ingredients in pesticides.
If javelinas have previously wrought damage to your well-draining garden, consider planting dense stands of lavender around the most susceptible patches of plants. Their scent should cause these pig-like mammals to think twice before coming too close. Moreover, they should add functional charm and color to your property, enticing pollinators to stop by for a visit.
3) Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
When it comes to edible and fragrant herbs, basil often takes the cake for being one of the most widely farmed species. Easy to cultivate in an outdoor herb garden or on a warm windowsill, this tender plant is the perfect annual for both inexperienced garden enthusiasts and seasoned horticulturists. It boasts ornamental charm and an extensive list of functions, including pest repellence.
Most varieties of basil deter pests by producing a complex mixture of potent and scented phytochemicals. These include compounds like eucalyptol, estragole, and limonene, which naturally have pesticidal properties. The combined tastes of these compounds and more make basil leaves unpalatable or simply extremely unpleasant to eat for herbivores, including javelina.
Basil can be used as a repellent plant in small gardens or around patches of susceptible herbs. To encourage its scent to waft over a larger area, its leaves or shoots will need to be mechanically damaged. Regularly harvesting leaves or breaking them up into small parts, intended for distribution around the garden, may fend off lurking mammals, mosquitoes, flies, and more.
4) Mint (Mentha spp.)
One might argue that a truly pest-repellent garden is incomplete without the addition of at least one or two mint species or hybrids. These members of the Lamiaceae family are known for the strong taste and scent of their oil-rich foliage. With such a polarizing effect on their consumers, mint is unsurprisingly disliked by even the hungriest of herbivores. Though tender and usually soft to the touch, mint leaves are simply off-the-table to browsers like deer, rabbits, and javelinas.
Some of the most reliable types of mint for pest repellence include peppermint (Mentha x piperita), spearmint (M. spicata), and pennyroyal (M. pulegium). These have leafy shoots that grow anywhere from 4 – 48 inches (10 – 122 cm) tall, making them suitable for low-growing arrangements. With the help of a few, well-selected mint species, natural barriers against hungry animals need not always be towering and impenetrable.
If you’re considering growing a variety of mint plants in a dry garden, keep in mind that these species favor moist conditions and will likely require supplementary irrigation to thrive. When provided with ample moisture and nutrients, they can prove to be remarkably fast-growing. Note that some species of mint are more likely to be invasive than others. To restrict their spread, they may be kept within containers or dedicated patches.
5) Chili peppers (Capsicum spp.)
The hot and occasionally painful sensation associated with eating chili peppers likely evolved as these plants’ chief means of repelling pests in the wild. You’ll be hard-pressed to find an herbivore that goes out of its way to eat chilis, and for good reason! Some birds, reptiles, and specialized shrews might find pleasure in the taste of these colorful fruits, but most mammalian grazers instinctively link the heat to a wealth of unpleasant digestive symptoms.
Javelinas can be expected to avoid dense stands of chili plants, especially during their fruiting period. Gardeners may harvest the chilis and finely grind them to create a reserve of capsaicin-rich oils for the rest of the year. The oils, pulp, and seeds can be distributed around plots of vulnerable plants. These will emit a scent that should cause many grazers to hesitate, though the hungriest mammals may not be deterred.
For a more effective and ecological-friendly means of repelling javelinas with peppers, incorporate store-bought chili pepper powder or fresh pulp into a water-based solution. You may even mix in some freshly ground garlic cloves for good measure. Spray the solution onto the foliage of nutritious leaves or above the crown of valuable root crops. Frequent application may be necessary for prolonged repellence.
6) Common sage (Salvia officinalis)
Cultivated for its herbal properties or as an evergreen shrub, sage is an incredibly beneficial herb. It graces gardens with its eye-catching, muted green foliage. Soft to the touch, the oblong-shaped leaves are covered in short hairs, protecting them from quickly drying out and from potential herbivores. It isn’t just the texture of the leaves that protect the plant, however. Their true mechanism for pest repellence lies in their rich oils.
The essential oil of common sage contains phytochemicals like thujone, camphor, linalool, and pinene. These compounds have a reputation for being some of the most effective pest repellents from natural sources. Combined, they create a bitter taste and distinct fragrance, one which most grazers will instinctively avoid.
Hardy to USDA zones 4 – 11, sage produces its most potent oil formulations when it is grown in areas with well-draining soils and plenty of sunlight. Dry climates suit the needs of this hardy perennial but take note that intense summer heat can damage its leaves. Rubbing or cutting sage leaves releases a strong scent, so timed pruning periods can significantly aid in preventing seasonal visits of javelinas.
7) Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
Interestingly, though the fruits of the eggplant vine have a knack for attracting a handful of hungry grazers, the plant is usually avoided by javelinas. A member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), it produces a glycoalkaloid named solanine. This can repel small insects like aphids, but it has not yet been proven to be a chemical that deters grazers.
Eggplant also contains a large concentration of histamines, which can cause allergies in its consumers. It’s possible that the histamines, coupled with solanine, make the plant unappealing to javelinas. There’s no guarantee, however, that the hungriest of these pig-like mammals will refuse eggplant in the absence of other nutrient-rich food sources. It has simply been observed as a common crop that tends to resist javelina herbivory in desert states.
If you intend to cultivate a vegetable garden in an area frequented by herds of javelina, eggplant may be one of just a handful of crops that may withstand grazing activity. Other low-growing vegetables tend to be fair game, so they will likely require additional protection. To compound the resistance of eggplant vines, make sure to grow it alongside other pest-repellent companion plants.
8) Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana)
Grown for its attractively dense flowering plumes, pampas grass is another species that is usually avoided by javelinas. This tall member of the Poaceae family is capable of spreading remarkably quickly. When situated in optimal environments outside of its native range, it can aggressively compete with other plants for space and sunlight. Though it can be cultivated as a highly textural border plant, make sure to keep its potential for invasiveness in mind.
By landscaping with plants that javelinas don’t like to eat, you can drastically reduce their chances of visiting your property. Grow this species along the borders of a medium to large-sized garden or as a clump of specimen grasses in a larger landscape. Make sure to double-check your locality’s list of prohibited plants before purchasing this self-propagating grass.
9) Teddy-bear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii)
Though javelinas are known for eating many types of cacti and succulents, they are wise to stay away from mature stands of cholla. This remarkably prickly plant looks practically fuzzy from a distance. Its heavily-spiny shoots produce dense branches and can grow to a full height of about 5 feet (1.5 meters). The inch-long spines cover the surfaces of the plant in so packed a manner that there’s nary a spot on which a javelina can bite down without getting hooked.
Javelinas may occasionally be seen with cholla stems sticking to their legs or back. As they tend to share habitats, it’s only natural for this to occur. While javelinas feed on less spiny prickly pears or other cacti, they may back into or stumble toward a formidable cholla. The backward-pointing barbs on the spines are able to tightly grip their skin. These aid in this species’ local distribution, allowing larger animals to become vectors of their dispersal.
Teddy-bear chollas can be grown close to one another to create a natural fence around your garden. Unless they are able to spot wide openings through which they may safely pass and search for food, javelinas are likely to keep away from packed rows of this cactus. Other herbivores are also likely to steer clear of this desert plant’s spines.
10) Daffodils (Narcissus spp.)
Plants of the Narcissus genus, fondly known as daffodils, are avoided by many determined grazers because of their mildly toxic properties. The attractive flowers, tender leaves, stems, and bulbs don’t have an appealing flavor. Moreover, animals that have the misfortune of mistakenly consuming these plants become plagued by a host of unpleasant symptoms. These are caused by the presence of a poisonous alkaloid, called lycorine.
Javelinas, deer, rabbits, and many other mammals usually won’t consume daffodils, especially if there are other plants around. Thus, if you wish to cultivate a javelina-resistant spring garden, these are definitely the best bulbs to grow. Plant various species and hybrids next to one another to highlight their differences or to create a dynamic border that discourages grazers.
Plants of the Iris genus usually complement the growth needs of Narcissus species, so they are frequently placed next to each other in pest-repellent gardens. As a bonus, the enlarged rhizomes of the former are likewise unappealing to javelinas. This goes to show that selecting plants for areas frequented by javelinas doesn’t always involve sacrificing lovely ornamentals!
