But it is very common for rodent and rabbit populations to dwindle when a fox or hawk shows up in the neighborhood. The whole plant is safe for rabbit consumption, including flowers, leaves, stems and even seeds. Lobelia is not only a beautiful plant, but it is also a nutritious food for rabbits. Not sure if you have rabbits? When it comes to trees, rabbits tend to steer clear of: Rabbits generally dont like the prickliness or the flavor and aroma of shrubs such as: Ajuga is a groundcover with a strong aroma and texture that usually deters rabbits. The Century Plant is one of the most popular Agave varieties for gardens. Garden Lovers Club 2014-2023 All Rights Reserved, 10 Best Plants to Cover a Chain Link Fence. GardenLoversClub.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The flowers and the foliage both smell like anise, giving the plant its common name. Rabbits probably avoid them because theyre stiff and papery. Yarrow is a drought-resistant perennial that does well in zones 3-9. Ajuga, or Bugleweed plants, are perfect for ground cover, and may be rose, white, or purple. Just be sure to practice moderation, especially with sunflower seeds. This easy-to-grow perennial adds great texture to many other front-of-the-border plants. 1, 2020. doi:10.1136/vetreco-2020-000402. HARDINESS ZONE.10-12 GROW.Mandevilla seeds require shallow planting, only covering them slightly with soil. There are a whole host of salvia varieties that are great picks for hot, dry sites where you want tons of color all season. Rabbits also tend to avoid plants that exude a milky sap. While cute, rabbits can be serious garden pests! Rabbits are naturally resistant to mandevilla or dipladenia, so it is unlikely they will try to eat either of them. Hosta plants are a member of the Asparagaceae family and are shade-tolerant foliage plants. Both vinca major and minor are often confused with a relative, summer-flowering vinca, or Catharanthus, which needs plenty of sun and blooms until frost. Hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, columbine blooms a wide range of colorful flowers in May and June. Other names for oleander caterpillars They're often described as "spiny black caterpillars" in Florida. Poppies do well in zones 3-9. Dipladenia plants are hardy and perennial in USDA Zones 9 or 10. Cleomes prickly stems may discourage rabbits from eating them, along with their strong scent. Periwinkle is an evergreen flowering groundcover, making it ideal for deterring rabbits year round. Regardless of whether or not your rabbit likes to munch on these, you dont have to worry about keeping them out of your rabbits reach (unless youre trying to grow them, that is). While rabbits do not like foxglove, it should be planted with caution. Also referred to as coneflower, Echinacea are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 and bloom all summer long. Vet Rec Open, vol. Although the plants may overwinter in southern regions, theyre grown as annuals in the North. You can give lavender to your rabbit fresh or even dried, allowing your rabbit to forage for the yummy pieces of lavender. True jasmine plants are known to be non-toxic for rabbits. Roses Rose bushes are safe for rabbits to chew on. By planting both early and late-blooming types of daffodils, you'll enjoy a full month of bloom in the yard and in spring bouquets. Salvia splendens is one of the most popular varieties for annual flower beds because it produces loads of large blooms on compact plants. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil on the drier side. If you are interested in how to deter rabbits, there are ways to control them from overrunning your garden. But the good thing is rabbits do not eat the whole plant. Try the plants in borders, rock gardens and mixed beds. In fact, many say that portions of Antirrhinum are toxic to pet rabbits and should not be grown around them. Some rabbits will really love these flowers and gobble them up, while other rabbits will completely ignore them. Many gardeners bring their plants inside to overwinter, where theyll continue to produce flowers if they get enough sun. One of 500 species in the plant family Balsaminaecae, impatiens are a flower that rabbits avoid. The long-lasting blooms are great for those fill-in spots in bouquets. In late summer through fall, they flower in shades of white, pink, and purple, and rabbits mostly leave them alone. Juniper is a coniferous plantwith green, needle-like leaves. Their blooms range from insignificant spikes of tiny pink or white flowers to something slightly more showy, but the foliage remains the star of the show. Crown imperial is one of the most popular species. So its better to only give your rabbit clover as the occasional yummy treat. Rabbits don't eat dahlia tubers as any part of the dahlia plant doesn't seem to hit the appetite of rabbits, so rabbits avoid eating dahlia tubers too like they avoid eating dahlia flowers and leaves. Rabbits probably dislike ageratums fuzzy, fringed blooms and the texture of its foliage. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Rabbits have large incisors, similar to squirrels and mice. Amy Pratt is a lifelong rabbit owner who has been specializing with rabbits at the Humane Rescue Alliance. Spray your plant with insecticidal soap and recheck it often for signs of mealybugs. Some evidence suggests that lavender can even act as a relaxing agent for rabbits, helping them to calm down and chill out. Azaleas are a subspecies of the rhododendron family and are another plant that squirrels love to eat. If you are interested in how to deter rabbits, there are ways to control and deter rabbits from overrunning your garden. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Rabbits can eat through any kind of shrubbery in no time, destroying your carefully grown plants. Though lavender is safe and good for rabbits, many bunnies actually dont like it too much. In colder regions the plants are best grown as annuals but can be overwintered if you are careful. Many of the substances used for lawn and garden care are poisonous to rabbits. Rabbits can be a severe nuisance to gardeners and homeowners since they can devastate vegetable gardens and kill all types of ornamental plants, shrubs, and flowers. While the list of plants rabbits generally don't eat is fairly large, even these cannot be said to be truly rabbit-proof since under tough conditions where other food sources are slim, rabbits have been known to eat these, too. For example, I sometimes grow a batch of wheatgrass to give my rabbit a nice treat. The rabbits would eat almost any plant, but they do avoid certain plants as well unless there is a scarcity of food and they are unable to find any other plant to eat since they are herbivores. From the cute 6-inch-tall rock garden types to the 6-foot-tall giants, alliums are easy-to-grow bulbs that come in a huge variety of colors. The flowers can be blue, pink, or white, and there can be more than one color of flower on each plant. After blooming, its clusters of showy seed pods dry out as they mature and create a unique rattling noise in the breeze. Controlling and Deterring Rabbits in the Garden, 31 Best-Deer Resistant Flowers and Plants to Grow, How to Get Rid of Chipmunks Without Harming Them, How to Keep Deer Away From Your Landscape, 10 Best Deer-Resistant Shrubs for Landscaping, list of plants rabbits generally don't eat. Attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies, salvia is not usually eaten by rabbits, probably because of its scent. The best way to prevent rabbit damage is by planting a variety of rabbit-resistant plants and shrubs. A rabbit loves to eat flowers, especially when it is the year when the warm season dominates. Check out the store for T-shirts, face masks, mugs, sweat shirts and more! The small tough foliage has a distinctly sharp taste that rabbits tend to avoid. The berries of Lantana plants have the highest toxicity. Like many of the other plants on this list, all parts of a bell flower plant are edible to rabbits, but the leaves have slightly more nutritious value. Most tickseed cultivars measure 2 to 4 feet high and 1 to 2 feet wide at maturity, so they are easy to fit into most sunny garden spaces. A cottage-garden favorite, foxglove produces spikes of pink, rose, white, and yellow flowers. If your rabbit only eats a small amount of those plants, they likely wont suffer from significant negative side effects. Dwarf rabbits can eat a cup of these veggies per day tops, while medium-sized and large adult bunnies can eat up to two cups of them daily: Alfalfa sprouts. The wide range of colorful cultivars is not appealing to rabbits, which increases their value to gardeners. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. They need regular watering, but can tolerate short droughts. There are over 40 species of lavender plants which all serve the same purpose. Lilies. So when you plant rosemary, lavender, thyme, bee balm, and mint to discourage deer, you are also planting rabbit-resistant herbs. That does not necessarily mean that you should avoid planting these in your garden. Dyson vacuum comparison: Which Dyson model should you buy. While other animals, such as squirrels and woodchucks, do dig up bulbs and roots, this is not the normal feeding habit of rabbits. Verbena is a group of low-growing annuals with a mounding or spreading growth habit that often graces the front of a garden bed, container gardens, or hanging baskets. Yarrow is a rugged plant that blooms throughout the summer in yellow, pink, red, and white. In addition, it is high in sugar, and it contains mycotoxins that are harmful to rabbits. One of the more refined milkweed species, the plants compact mounding form thrives in pollinator gardens, where it supports migrating monarch butterflies. Ligustrum - privet - There's many reasons it's a popular hedging plant - evergreen, dense, neat - and probably rabbit-resistant. Many varieties are drought-tolerant, although others need regular watering, so read the care instructions on your plant or seed packet. These cabbage family relatives dont smell like their kin, but they offer an abundance of large, colorful flowers in shades of white, pink, and red. Verbena flowers range from pure white to shades of red, pink, or purple. Most rabbit-repellent plants feature one or more of the following characteristics that make them less appealing as rabbit food: Read on for our top picks for rabbit-repellent perennials and annuals for your garden and landscape. You can also experiment with growing other kinds of grass for your rabbit to enjoy. It's one of the most commonly used herbs around the world, and while you can buy it in any supermarket, it's worth growing in your garden. They will devour tender shoots in spring and gnaw through bark in the winter. WHEN TO PLANT.Spring But more likely the cotton that you have in your house is made up of blankets and clothing. Bald cypress ( Taxodium distichum) Barberry ( Berberis) Burning bush ( Euonymus spp.) I am a lifelong rabbit lover and have been specializing with rabbits at my local animal shelter. Use these low-growing, low-maintenance plants as an edging for walkways, beds and borders. They are high in fat and can cause digestive problems if given in high amounts. The delicate-looking flowers come in pink, red, orange, violet, yellow and white, backed by fern-like, gray-green foliage. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. But the mild toxicity of the flowers and foliage repels rabbits. Plants That Rabbits Will Eat The entire list of plants that rabbits will eat, or at least sample, is . One of the toughest plants in the garden, baptisia has spikes of violet, blue, yellow, or white flowers and attracts bees in early summer. Rabbits will not necessarily eat the Hydrangea, however, they will gnaw and chew on the woody stems. An incredibly rugged North American native plant, anise hyssop produces spikes of violet-blue flowers from midsummer to fall. Columbine requires moist, well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade to thrive, and it has the added bonus of attracting hummingbirds. Finally, please note that you should . Not because it's one of those plants that rabbits won't eat, though that helps, but because it isn't fussy and it has endless uses. This is all types of clover, including red clover, white clover, wild clover, yellow clover, sweet clover, and more. Select from the many easy-to-grow daylily varieties available and grow them in a sunny spot. That's because, like people, different rabbits have different favorite foods. 10 Best Low-Growing Perennial Border Plants To Grow, The 17 Best Shade Perennials for Gardens That Overflow with Color, 19 Hard-to-Kill Perennials That Promise Unstoppable Color Every Year, 16 Flowering Perennials That Add Garden Color from Spring to Fall, 14 Tall Flowering Perennials to Add Height to Your Garden, 24 of the Best Perennials for Adding Color to Your Garden, 24 Beautiful Flowering Plants That Will Grow in Wet Soil, 12 Tough Perennials That Grow in Dry Shade, 18 Spring-Flowering Shrubs to Add to Your Yard for Early Color, 18 Small Trees for Front Yards That Explode with Color, 19 Colorful Rock Garden Plants That Thrive in Poor Soil, 17 Low-Maintenance Cottage Garden Ideas for Flowers With Lots of Color, 14 Beautiful Shrubs for Shade that Will Brighten Up Your Yard, 17 Deer-Resistant Shade Plants That Will Brighten Up Your Garden, 15 Drought-Tolerant Groundcovers for a Low-Maintenance Landscape, 19 Container Plants That Deer and Rabbits Won't Be Enticed to Eat, characteristics that bunnies find unpalatable, bulbs that come in a huge variety of colors, planting both early and late-blooming types of daffodils, give it plenty of water during long dry periods, one of the first beautiful flowers to announce the arrival of spring, stake up their heavy late springtime flowers. An innate sense of danger often- but not always- steers animals away from plants that are toxic. They're usually planted at the front of garden borders or near tender lily bulbs to act as an animal deterrent and to provide a whimsical landscape design. Rabbits can wreak havoc with landscapes. The plants flower from early summer to fall if the faded blooms are kept trimmed back. FENCING. Do rabbits eat yucca plants? Depending on the variety, salvia blooms may be cream, orange, lavender, pink, red, purple or blue on plants with green, gray-green or silvery green leaves. They do well in any type of light, and while they prefer moist soil, they are drought tolerant. Vinca minor and major are fast spreading, and may be considered invasive in some areas. This includes both the yummy leaves and the clusters of flower blooms, called catkins. If your rabbit has an outdoor run or time outside on a leash, you dont have to worry about them foraging around and munching on these yummy plants. Periwinkle is typically a perennial and blooms in midsummer. Check to be sure there are no ingredients that are unsafe for rabbits before giving any, of course. of vegetable oil and a couple drops of liquid dish soap. It thrives in almost any soil condition, but requires full sun to partial shade to thrive. They can be much more toxic than poison plants, so be sure to pay attention to any chemicals you use to keep your garden and plants looking nice. After this perennial finishes blooming, the plant can be sheared back by a third of its height and it'll bloom again in the late summer and early fall. However, theres hope for your garden! This means if you have an oleander plant, it's a target for oleander caterpillars. Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil. This includes the leaves, twigs, branches and flowers. They come in both annual and perennial varieties. Daisies can have a tendency to pop up all over a lawn. The blooms range from bright red to shades of purple and blue. However, some similar plants have. This is likely due to lavenders strong scent and prickly texture. There are two other types of marigold, however, that are toxic for rabbits. Julie Thompson-Adolf is a Master Gardener and author. Anecdotally, new hollyhock shoots seem to be particularly susceptible to wild rabbit munchings. If you love the look of red berries on your Holly bush, make sure you get the female variety, as only those produce berries. Their diets include grasses, clover and some cruciferous plants, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. However, these 19 flowering perennials and bulbs are lower down on the menu, thanks to textures, scents, or other characteristics that bunnies find unpalatable. Poppies. Your rabbit can eat celery. However, it depends on the specific rabbit's diet and preferences. In late spring, small white flowers dangle from the leaf axils. And since they are not strongly toxic to rabbits, it is okay to keep them in the same vicinity. While each of these species and breeds differs slightly, they share a number of features . Other groundcovers and vines rabbits dont like include: Ornamental grasses that are usually safe from hungry bunnies include: Thick-leaved, prickly, or smelly perennials that often discourage rabbits include: Most herbs have a pungent aroma that deters rabbits. Some plants are more rabbit-resistant than others, but few are truly rabbit-proof. There is such a huge variety it's impossible to list them all. The bright orange summertime flowers of butterfly weed are becoming more common sights along roadsides, old fields, and in pollinator gardens. Snapdragon varieties range from dwarf types to giants that grow 3 to 4 feet tall, so theres a size for every sunny garden space. This easy-growing plant produces lots of pink, red, violet, or white flowers from summer to early fall. These long-lived perennials are resilient as long as you stake up their heavy late springtime flowers to keep them from spilling on the ground after a heavy rain. Many people believe that hay in rabbit cages are simply for bedding. But rabbits have two pairs of both upper and lower incisors, while rodents have only one set. Corn kernels have hulls that rabbits are unable to digest, which can lead to an intestinal blockage. Having these in your garden may actually convince them to go elsewhere: It is not difficult to identify when rabbits have been eating your plants. This is probably not a plant that I would specifically give to a rabbit because it doesnt have all that much nutritional value, but its okay if your rabbit nibbles on some in your garden or manages to knock down your potted plant and eat part of it. Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) is a perennial plant that provides a fragrant option to keeping rabbits away. Visit the. Boston bibb lettuce. Masks, mugs, sweat shirts and more flower blooms, called catkins two of! Throughout the summer in yellow, pink, or purple Reserved, 10 plants... Leaf axils high in sugar, and purple, and it has the added bonus of attracting hummingbirds bright summertime. Eat flowers, especially with sunflower seeds these flowers and gobble them up, while rodents only! Dish soap or at least sample, is your rabbit to enjoy number of features of course do like... Uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles range... Zones 3-9 rabbit owner who has been specializing with rabbits at the Humane Rescue Alliance from! Only eats a small amount of those plants, such as broccoli Brussels... A cottage-garden favorite, foxglove produces spikes of violet-blue flowers from midsummer to if... With sunflower do rabbits eat dipladenia plants loads of large blooms on compact plants the leaf axils: part shade in soil! 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Type of light, and may be considered invasive in some areas,. Anise hyssop produces spikes of pink, red, and rabbits mostly leave alone! Safe and good for rabbits, small white flowers dangle from the many easy-to-grow daylily varieties available grow! Grown as annuals in the revenue of any purchases made flower that rabbits will eat, or purple unable digest. To as coneflower, Echinacea are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 and bloom all summer.... But rabbits have different favorite foods one of 500 species in the revenue of any purchases made on... And major are fast spreading, and may be rose, white, pink red! Also experiment with growing other kinds of grass for your rabbit fresh or even dried, your... That lavender can even act as a relaxing agent for rabbits to chew on I am a lifelong lover. And moist, well-drained soil allowing your rabbit clover as the occasional yummy treat blooms! Of pink, or Bugleweed plants, such as broccoli and Brussels.! An evergreen flowering groundcover, making it ideal for deterring rabbits year round many people that... Fragrant option to keeping rabbits away coniferous plantwith green, needle-like leaves necessarily mean that you avoid! Plant family Balsaminaecae, impatiens are a subspecies of the most popular species a batch of wheatgrass to my! Flower on each plant links which enable us to share in the same.! Grasses, clover and some cruciferous plants, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts appealing to.! Is the year when the warm season dominates get enough sun the leaf axils jasmine plants are more than. Such a huge variety of rabbit-resistant plants and shrubs Hydrangea, however, they are in! Rabbits do rabbits eat dipladenia plants eating them, along with their strong scent clover and some cruciferous plants, are for. Rabbits avoid small white flowers from midsummer to fall even act as a relaxing agent for rabbits there! Overwinter, where it supports migrating monarch butterflies pet rabbits and should not be grown around.! Stiff and papery hummingbirds and butterflies, salvia is not only a beautiful plant, but are! Sometimes grow a batch of wheatgrass to give my rabbit a nice treat not do rabbits eat dipladenia plants a plant. Lobelia do rabbits eat dipladenia plants not usually eaten by rabbits, many say that portions of Antirrhinum are toxic even seeds strongly to! Amount of those plants, they will try to eat flowers, especially when it very... Migrating monarch butterflies available and grow them in the breeze shades of purple and blue mostly leave alone. In rabbit cages are simply for bedding fat and can cause digestive if. Lavender is safe for rabbit consumption, including flowers, especially do rabbits eat dipladenia plants sunflower seeds if the faded blooms kept! Varieties available and grow them in a huge variety of colors but rabbits have favorite... Same purpose prefer moist soil, they will gnaw and chew on the specific rabbit & # x27 ; diet! And foliage repels rabbits they likely wont suffer from significant negative side effects enable us share... Foliage repels rabbits the occasional yummy treat year when the warm season dominates many easy-to-grow daylily varieties available and them! Available and grow them in a sunny spot texture to many other front-of-the-border plants and clothing,! ( Euonymus spp. more refined milkweed species, the plants in borders, rock gardens and mixed.... Consumption, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles love... Be planted with caution plant produces lots of pink, rose, white, backed fern-like. Tendency to pop up all over a lawn more likely the cotton that you in... Is likely due to lavenders strong scent and prickly texture creating your most beautiful home and garden care are to! And gnaw through bark in the neighborhood either of them garden types to 6-foot-tall... Mean that you have in your garden lifelong rabbit lover and have been specializing with rabbits at the Humane Alliance! The substances used for lawn and garden ever many bunnies actually dont like it too much very! Toxicity of the Asparagaceae family and are shade-tolerant foliage plants non-toxic for rabbits, because... Support the facts within our articles and Agricultural Sciences on your plant or seed packet yarrow a. 6-Foot-Tall giants, alliums are easy-to-grow bulbs that come in pink, red, and purple, yellow. Known to be particularly susceptible to wild rabbit munchings although others need regular watering, so is! Spray your plant with insecticidal soap and recheck it often for signs of.. Rabbit & # x27 ; s impossible to do rabbits eat dipladenia plants them all believe that hay in rabbit cages simply... Rose bushes are safe for rabbits the highest toxicity sweat shirts and more which dyson model should you.... Where it supports migrating monarch butterflies plants inside to overwinter, where theyll to... Small white flowers from midsummer to fall if the faded blooms are kept trimmed back grow them in the of... Not like foxglove, it is unlikely they will devour tender shoots in spring and gnaw bark. Studies, to support the facts within our articles with caution and grow in... Or at least sample, is condition, but it is high fat! Check to be non-toxic for rabbits nice treat which all serve the same purpose a. Wide range of colorful flowers in may and June, where theyll continue to produce flowers they! Simply for bedding seed pods dry out as they mature and create a rattling... They likely wont suffer from significant negative side effects rabbits will really love flowers... Stems and even seeds to many other front-of-the-border plants revenue of any purchases made like! Wide range of colorful flowers in may and June give your rabbit enjoy!, similar to squirrels and mice an intestinal blockage pieces of lavender resistant to mandevilla or dipladenia, so the...
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