Safe plants for ducks

[BelovedBirds]

I was thinking of having some potted, simple, hardy, preferably flowery plants in or around my duck pen-
What are some plants that are safe for the ducks, and that they won't be interested in eating?
Thanks in advance for any input!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Some pretty artificial ones might work

If they don't nibble or eat them they will tromp them down.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Some pretty artificial ones might work

If they don't nibble or eat them they will tromp them down.

I was thinking have them in pots and that would hopefully save them, but eating them I cant really prevent!
It's not a bad idea, artificial ones, actually Less maintenance too

 

[Isadora]

and that they won't be interested in eating?

This sentence made me laugh. Ducks seem keen on destruction and eating everything, don't they?
I don't know about flowering, but the rough decorative grasses are typically left alone. Like festuca or pampas. I don't know off the top of my head if they're toxic but at least you could look into that type of plant.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Flowering shrubs might work. You'd just have to research what is safe.
anything you don't want to be eaten or tromped down could always have decorative fencing put around.

 

[BelovedBirds]

This sentence made me laugh. Ducks seem keen on destruction and eating everything, don't they?
I don't know about flowering, but the rough decorative grasses are typically left alone. Like festuca or pampas. I don't know off the top of my head if they're toxic but at least you could look into that type of plant.

They do
My thought process was something safe to eat, but something they dont particularly like the taste of, I'll look into those grasses !

 

[BelovedBirds]

Flowering shrubs might work. You'd just have to research what is safe.
anything you don't want to be eaten or tromped down could always have decorative fencing put around.

I may put them along the outside, but since they could still potentially nibble through the mesh, I want to be sure it's safe! I have very little knowledge of plants, or what's more difficult to grow etc

 

[Miss Lydia]

My bird's property is a little over half an acre in there I have day lillies they walk through them and nibble on them when they start to grow in spring but those lillies are tough they always make it through and bloom. I also have some irises they tromp them down but some manage to stay upright and bloom. I have a flame azalea blooming now and it's fenced. Most everything else are trees and things that grow native. They haven't bothered the sweet shrub bush thats gowing in there. The hosta they ate. The Hydranga they nibble but that is all.

 

[DuneDucks]

I need to figure out some good plants for my pen too. I transplanted a bunch of clumps of squirreltail (wild rye grass) around their pond to make it nicer for them, but I'm sure most of you can guess how that ended with 10 hungry ducklings around. At least they had fun though.

Someone on here had some nice lilac in their run that their ducks apparently preferred to use as cover over destroying, but I'm not entirely sure if the plant was established before/after the ducks arrived. That's what I'll probably be trying next. Lilac might be a bit bigger than what you're looking for though.

Let us know what you figure out!

 

[DuneDucks]

rough decorative grasses are typically left alone. Like festuca or pampas. I don't know off the top of my head if they're toxic but at least you could look into that type of plant.

I was going around identifying some plants on my property (PictureThis is a fantastic plant/insect ID app) and I have a ton of blue fescue. I'll try planting some in the duck pen and report back on how it fares.