Most gardens contain a problem area or two. A slope is a problem area in a chicken garden because chickens love a slope and gravitate toward it, continually scratching and creating dirt baths in that area. A barren slope is open to soil erosion and loss of soil nutrients.

If you need a fix for a slope, consider these plants:


California wild lilac

Ceanothus. Evergreen shrubs and groundcover. Zones 8–10. Easy care, drought tolerant. Beautiful spring-blooming flowers.



Lonicera japonica. Deciduous vines. Zones 4–11. Fragrant showy flowers. Especially good for ground cover erosion control. Honeysuckle can be valuable in a chicken garden, but it has known toxic qualities to chickens. Chickens generally avoid it in free-ranging situations. Never feed it directly to your chickens.


Ice plant

Malephora. Succulent perennials. Zones vary by species. Durable perennial for heat, winds, and fire. Drought tolerant. Low maintenance. Plants bloom over a long time.


Western sword fern

Polystichum munitum. Zones 3–8. Most common fern of Western forests. Beautiful, long, lush, dark green fronds. Partial or full shade.