Chicken-Safe Plants: Flowers, Herbs, Shrubs & Trees for a Healthy Flock
Discover the best chicken-safe plants for your flock. From flowers to herbs and trees, learn what’s safe, useful, and easy to grow.
When I first started keeping chickens, I didn’t give much thought to what was growing around their run. If it was green, I figured they’d nibble it. Turns out, some plants are fantastic for chickens…and others can land them in trouble fast.
Over the years, I’ve planted herbs they can snack on, shrubs for shade, and flowers that brighten up the coop. Some they love (nasturtiums don’t last long here), and some they ignore completely. Over time I’ve figured out which plants actually help my flock, and which ones are just chicken yard filler.
In this post, you’ll find a complete guide to chicken-safe plants. We’ll cover flowers, herbs, vines, shrubs, and trees, plus I’ll answer the most common questions about specific plants like petunias, hostas, and Black Eyed Susans.
Why Plant Chicken-Safe Plants?
Adding plants around your coop isn’t just about making it pretty. Plants give chickens way more than just something to peck at. They soak up the shade and shelter when summer heat sets in, and they’ll naturally forage on safe greens, which helps supplement their diet.
Certain herbs—like mint and lemon balm—do double duty by keeping pests and even rodents at bay. And beyond the practical perks, plants give your flock enrichment. Chickens love to explore, scratch, and nibble at greenery.
And honestly, it’s a whole lot nicer to look out at greenery than a bare patch of dirt.
Chicken-Safe Flowers
Flowers add quick color and can even be a source of forage. I’ve found nasturtiums disappear almost as soon as they bloom, while marigolds linger a little longer.
Top safe flowers for chickens:
Bee Balm 3–9 Perennial
Begonia Annual
Black-Eyed Susan 3–11 Perennial
Coreopsis 3–9 Perennial
Calendula Annual
Daisy 5–8 Perennial
*Dandelion Annual
Day Lilly 4–8 Perennial
Echinacea (Coneflower) 3–9 Perennial
Impatiens Annual
*Marigold Annual (great for yolk color)
*Nasturtium Annual
Orchid 6–8 Perennial
Petunia Annual
Sunflower Annual (seeds are a favorite scratch treat)
Thistle 3–10 Perennial
Velvet Nettle 3–10 Perennial
Violet Annual
Zinnia Annual
Tip: Plant extra nasturtiums if you want any for yourself—your flock will beat you to them every time.
If you don’t already have a setup, a small raised wooden garden bed kit makes it easy to create a chicken “salad bar” without taking over your main garden. The sides keep the soil in place and give you a tidy spot to plant herbs and greens just for your flock. Wood sides make it easy to staple on some chicken wire so the hens don’t dig everything up before it’s even sprouted.
Foliage Plants for Cover
If you’ve got an unsightly fence line or corner of the yard, foliage plants help soften the space while giving chickens something to explore.
Coleus Annual
Hens & Chicks 4–8 Perennial
Hosta 3–7 Perennial (my chickens devour the leaves in spring)
Lemongrass Annual (chickens don’t eat much of it, but it makes great shade clumps)
Yucca 4–11 Perennial
For protecting young plants, a roll of galvanized hardware cloth lasts for years and is one of those multipurpose homestead staples. I’ve used it for everything from lining raised beds to predator-proofing coop windows.
Herbs for Chickens
Herbs are a homesteader’s best friend—good for the kitchen, the coop, and the medicine cabinet. I always keep a mix of herbs near the run for snipping into feed or letting the hens trim themselves.
Basil Annual
*Catnip 3–9 Perennial (calming)
*Lavender 5–10 Perennial (calms stress + repels pests)
*Lemon Balm 4–11 Perennial (antibacterial)
*Mint 3–10 Perennial (good for digestion)
*Oregano 5–11 Perennial (antimicrobial)
*Parsley Annual (boosts circulation + feather regrowth)
*Rosemary 6–10 Perennial (repels insects)
Pro tip: Let herbs go a little wild. The more you cut (or let your hens cut), the bushier they grow. Chickens are ruthless pruners, but in this case it works in your favor.
If you want to go deeper on practical, safe ways to use botanicals with your flock, read my guide to using herbs and essential oils with backyard chickens.
Vines for Shade
Vines create a living canopy in summer, then die back in winter to let sunlight in. A lifesaver in runs that turn into ovens by July.
Black Eye Susan 10–11 Perennial
Bougainvillea 9–11 Perennial
Grape Ivy Annual
*Nasturtium Annual
*Rose 3–11 Perennial
Swedish Ivy Annual
Virginia Creeper 3–9 Perennial
Chicken-Safe Shrubs
Shrubs not only add structure, they double as windbreaks and hiding spots when the flock wants a little privacy.
Bamboo 5–9 Be sure to plant the non-invasive variety!
Butterfly Bush 5–10
Dogwood 3–8
Fig 7–9
Forsythia 5–9
Gardenia 8–10
Hop Tree 4–9
Juniper 3–9
Lilac 2–9
Palm 8–11
*Rose 3–11
While you’re planning the green canopy, make sure the rest of your setup is working just as hard—this breakdown of the elements of perfect chicken coop design will help you place plants, shade, roosts, and run features where they’ll actually make life easier.
Trees for Shade and Foraging
Don’t worry if you’ve got fruit or nut trees near your coop—most are safe. My chickens don’t let a single apple or crabapple hit the ground without inspecting it, and I’ll admit, I’m just as grateful for the shade.
Ash 2–9
Citrus (all) Keep small amounts—too much can affect calcium absorption.
Crab Apple 3–8
Dogwood 3–8
Elm 2–9
Eucalyptus 8–10
Fig 7–9
Guava 9–12
Hawthorn 4–7
Hop Tree 4–9
Madrona 6–10
Magnolia 5–9
Manzanita 8–11
Palm 8–11
Papaya 9–10
Pine 2–9
Redbud 5–9
Sassafras 4–9
Willow 2–9 (depending on species)
Heads up: If you plant young trees inside the run, protect the roots. Chickens love to dig.
Want an easy way to keep track of safe plants for your flock?
I put together a free one-page checklist of chicken-safe plants that you can print and stick right on the fridge or in your coop notebook. It’s a quick reference so you don’t have to keep scrolling back through the list. Download it here.
FAQs About Chicken-Safe Plants
Still wondering about specific plants? Here are the most common questions I hear (and that show up in search data).
Love this guide? Save it to Pinterest so you’ll have a handy list of chicken-safe plants whenever you need it.
Planting chicken-safe flowers, herbs, and shrubs is one of those little upgrades that pays off in a big way. You get a beautiful yard, and your hens get enrichment, forage, and shelter.
I’ve learned that some plants will thrive, some will be eaten down to the ground, and that’s okay. It’s all part of the rhythm of chicken keeping. Start small, see what your flock actually eats, and go from there. Every chicken yard ends up with its own quirks—what thrives in mine might flop in yours, and that’s just part of the fun.
And because plants are only part of a safe yard, here’s the best way to protect chickens from predators in your backyard—simple upgrades that pair well with shrubs and thorny borders.
If you’ve tried any chicken-safe plants I missed here, let me know in the comments—I love hearing what works in other backyards.