Peafowl proof plants

[MinxFox]

Last year I was determined to plant the whole peafowl pen. Well it is planted, but I still want to work on it to get it more tropical looking. After much testing I have found good peafowl proof plants (bamboo, cast iron plants, fatsia, tree ferns, purple cannas, philodendron selloum, zebra grass, purple fountain grass, ect) So now I am looking for more plants to add to my pen since it is getting warmer. I am in zone 8 so I can't grow all the tropicals I would like to but oh well. I had a theory at first that the soft plants were basically what the peafowl went for. Well that was true for a while, then when I got a croton (the leaves are tough) they ripped it to shreds. Now first of all it is one thing to eat the plant but they were starting to just pull of leaves but then not even eat the leaves! They didn't learn so they just ended up pulling off all the leaves! Now I think it might have to do with color...I got a plant that was white, pink and green (mostly white) and they liked to walk over there and scratch it up. I also notticed that plants they normally wouldn't touch they started to destroy when the winter started to set in even though I was giving them greens. Does anyone know of some pretty and tall grasses I could plant in the pen? I was sort of thinking about pampas grass. We have some pampas grass next to our drive that is huge and the center of it is all flattened because some animal has been laying in there. I think that might be a good natural nest for them. Then some more tough flowering plants would be great too.
So if you have anything that works for you then let me know or show pictures of your plant setup!

 

[gaza]

hi,in my tropical yard,NOTHING is off limits!!
tough,leaves of the bird of paradise,rubber plant,etc,all surcome to them!
i feed my 2 peacocks 3 heads of lettuce each day,and it seems to stem their appetite for my plants.
does not stop them all together!!,but lessens the impact
gaza

 

[MinxFox]

Hey I was hopping you would reply! Well that is too bad...Hmm I guess I will be testing more plants this year in the pen!

 

[AndysPeafowlSanctuary]

they don't like hibiscus bushes

 

[Frosty]

If you can give it some protection in the winter, you could always put in a plumeria... they smell heavenly!

 

[MinxFox]

You know, I did see several plumerias at the plant place, and they were a good size. I think they are just beautiful but I would be worried about it in the winter. So you just put a thin sheet over them? We put a garbage bag over our tree fern, but it sort of made the leaves rot rather than saving them. I hope it isn't dead.

Daves Garden has plumerias listed for zones 10 and 11, so I would only hope somehow I could make it work for zone 8!

I was thinking about getting some cold hardy hibiscus, I used to grow those plants all the time when I was 5.

 

[Frosty]

I'll have to ask my sister in Shalimar what all she does with hers... On another note, don't use plastic to cover plants. Apart from the fact that it can bake them on hot days, it doesn't allow for air circulation.

 

[MinxFox]

Okay because when my parents told me to put a plastic bag on it I wasn't sure that was a good idea but I did it anyways...I knew it! Lol what about roses, do those do okay with peas?

 

[featherbaby]

Quote:
I would not use pampas grass. Have you ever cut your hand on the leaves? It is MEGA painful, they are tough and sharp on both edges.

 

[chickenzoo]

As sharp as they are, my horses eat it like spaghetti....

i can't stand to hear them eating it.....