Best Japanese Beetle Resistant Plants

Japanese beetles tend to avoid hollies, and ‘Afterglow’ winterberry is no exception. This is a deciduous holly — it drops its leaves in fall, and the berried stems sparkle through winter. Hardy in Zones 3-9. Use as a hedge or in a rain garden.

Begonias as a group, including ‘Dragon Wing’ types, unfurl leaves and flowers that are thicker, offering a bite that Japanese beetles don’t savor. Use ‘Dragon Wing’ begonias in containers or planting beds in part shade to full sun settings.

Japanese beetles avoid lilacs, including the small and full-size varieties. ‘Declaration’ flowers 7 to 10 days earlier than other lilacs, helping to extend the seasonal show. Plants grow 6 to 8 feet tall. Use them as an informal screen, hedge or specimen shrub.

Sandpapery leaves on lantana help give Japanese beetles the brush-off. The insects tend to leave this flowering annual alone. Butterflies, bees and other pollinator insects, however, flock to the brightly tinted blooms. It’s a great plant to include in a butterfly or hummingbird garden.