4 Common Plants That Attract Snakes: A Warning for Gardeners

22 June, 2025

Snakes have poor vision but a highly sensitive sense of smell. They can be attracted to certain scents. There are some types of ornamental plants that snakes tend to seek out, so homeowners need to be cautious when planting them indoors.

Below is a list of snake-attracting plants that you should pay attention to.

Night-flowering Jasmine

This plant is also called Jasminum nitidum. Its flowers are yellow, green-white, or a combination of both. The fragrance of the flowers is distinctive and can be smelled from a distance, especially at night. Hence, this flower is named “Night-flowering Jasmine“.

Folklore suggests that the scent of night-flowering jasmine can attract snakes. However, the fragrance is not the primary reason snakes are often spotted in places where this plant grows. Night-flowering jasmine has a strong scent that lures various insects and animals such as mice and frogs, which happen to be the favorite prey of snakes. As a result, snakes tend to seek out places with night-flowering jasmine to hide and ambush their prey. If you choose to plant this tree indoors, it is advisable to regularly prune it to keep the branches well-ventilated and less attractive as hiding spots for creatures.

In addition to night-flowering jasmine, other fragrant plants like pineapple, night-blooming cereus, and jasmine may also attract snakes through a similar mechanism.

Night-flowering jasmine attracts various animals such as mice and frogs, which are the favorite prey of snakes.

Large Vine Plants

Many families enjoy planting large vine plants in their gardens, letting them climb up balconies and windows. These plants beautify living spaces and provide shade for the house.

However, large vine plants with dense foliage also provide ideal hiding places for snakes, especially the green pit viper, which can easily camouflage itself among the leaves.

Being cold-blooded, snakes will seek out these shady vine plants to escape the heat.

Additionally, these vine plants often attract mice and provide nesting sites for birds, both of which are prey for snakes. Consequently, snakes are also drawn to these areas in search of food.

Bamboo

Planting bamboo in front of a house not only enhances the landscape but also holds symbolic meaning in feng shui, bringing positive energy and good luck to the family. Bamboo grows rapidly, forming dense clumps.

However, when too much bamboo is planted in a courtyard, it can attract creatures like mice and snakes, providing them with food and shelter.

If there is bamboo in the courtyard, homeowners should regularly prune the branches and sweep away fallen leaves to prevent attracting insects, mice, and snakes.

Purple Ginseng

Purple ginseng is considered a medicinal herb, effective in treating diarrhea, flatulence, and abdominal pain. With its sweet taste, purple ginseng attracts small animals like squirrels, mice, and hedgehogs, all of which are delicacies for snakes. Snakes will seek out areas where purple ginseng is grown to find food. If humans venture too close to purple ginseng bushes, they may even be at risk of a snake attack.

When planting purple ginseng, it is advisable to choose a location away from the house. Regularly clear the surrounding grass and inspect the area for any signs of snakes to stay safe.

If you decide to grow these plants in your garden, exercise caution and maintain them neatly trimmed to minimize the risk of attracting snakes to your home.