They can't jump very high, so if wild rabbits are the only animal that is eating your hydrangeas, then you only need a short fence to do the trick. They can eat through a whole plant in no time flat. Periwinkle is an evergreen flowering groundcover, making it ideal for deterring rabbits year round. Clover is a wonderful treat for rabbits. They do well in any type of light, and while they prefer moist soil, they are drought tolerant. However, there are some instances where rabbits will eat garden plants. Some gardeners say the plants smell pleasantly minty, while others complain of a skunk-like or catty odor. Bell peppers. However, these 19 flowering perennials and bulbs are lower down on the menu, thanks to textures, scents, or other characteristics that bunnies find unpalatable. So its best to only give the seeds to your rabbit as if they were treats, and not as a common source of food. Liriope - Grassy groundcover, evergreen and dense, with spires of purple bobbly flowers. Mix two or three of the vegetables from the list below to give your bunny. 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. Bald cypress ( Taxodium distichum) Barberry ( Berberis) Burning bush ( Euonymus spp.) The flowers and the foliage both smell like anise, giving the plant its common name. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. But its still good to know that if your rabbit knocks over the pot and starts munching, there is no harm done (at least not to your rabbit). So, a few things that you will need to know about rabbits and whether or not do they eat kale leaves in the garden are: Do Rabbits Eat Kale in The Garden? The whole plant is safe for rabbit consumption, including flowers, leaves, stems and even seeds. Best of all, bunnies leave them alone. If you have cats, plant the catnip in a place where your cats can rub and roll on it without damaging your other plants. Zinnias are some of the most popular annual flowers because they are durable and easy to grow in harsh conditions. But apart from that, we must provide a series of care, which are: Rabbits do eat dianthus plants. 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. Black Eyed Susans are native to North America and are one of the most popular wildflowers grown in gardens. Roses Rose bushes are safe for rabbits to chew on. This is a plant that is usually only found as an indoor potted plant and has fuzzy leaves. They feed bees and butterflies and self-sow their seeds prolifically. Rabbits also tend to avoid plants that exude a milky sap. 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. Butterflies, bees, and a variety of insects are attracted to these showy flowers, which bloom from June to October. The foliage and ripe berries are also known to contain a toxin that can affect many animals. This plant also has nutritional and medicinal value. The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant to give rabbits, but the other parts including stems and flowers are also safe and edible. The whole plant is completely safe and nontoxic for rabbits. Look for varieties with bronzy tones infused in the leaves for extra color even after the blooms fade. Known as a hardy, drought-resistant perennial, yarrow works well in sun-loving cottage garden settings and in wildflower gardens. Make your own rabbit deterrent spray. Warning: Never feed yucca plants to your small pet, as they are poisonous to your pet. Tender green shoots will be gnawed off, often right to ground level. 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. Coral bells offer lush foliage in a huge diversity of textures and colors, from black-purple to green, gold, orange, or chartreuse, and they can thrive in nearly any yard. Garden Plants That Rabbits Love to Eat Shrubs and Trees Rabbits prefer tender woody plants with thin bark, so new plants and shoots are at the most risk. This interesting bulb offers a wide variety of flower colors, forms, and sizes. There is no clear evidence that these other violets are actually toxic, but its possible that they are mildly poisonous and should be kept away from rabbits. Daylilies are the classic harbingers of summertime in the garden. Lungwort cannot tolerate full sun, and will wilt quickly if planted in full sunlight. There are some herbal loose leaf tea mixes that include rose hips or rose petals that can actually be very yummy to use as foraging treats for rabbits (check all the ingredients in the mix before giving it to your rabbit). Hot sun and drought are no trouble for these rugged flowers (which should be planted in full sun), and they are loved by pollinators and seed-eating songbirds alike. Squirrels, deer, and other animals like feeding on the succulent leaves and stems of the bushy perennials. This rabbit-resistant plant tolerates heat and drought well. The blooms typically appear in shades of violet and white and can easily be preserved as a dried flower for use in sachets and other craft projects. Theyre easy to grow perennials, and love full sun and well-draining soil. Does your rabbit like to flip over their food bowls? While you may want to keep your rabbit away so they dont eat up your lovely potted jasmine plant, you can at least know it wont do any harm to your rabbit. Check the leaves and stems of your plants for cleanly cut damage; insects and other pests usually leave jagged edges on damaged plants. Colorful Shirley poppies arent eaten by most rabbits, probably because of their aroma and milky sap. Agave is a long-leaf succulent that forms a rosette shape and is both drought-resistant and perennial. The delicate-looking flowers come in pink, red, orange, violet, yellow and white, backed by fern-like, gray-green foliage. Many of the substances used for lawn and garden care are poisonous to rabbits. Grow geraniums in full sun and keep the faded flowers removed to encourage reblooming. Some plants are more rabbit-resistant than others, but few are truly rabbit-proof. View this plant in a garden Category: Tropicals and Tender Perennials Vines and Climbers Water Requirements: Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade Foliage: Evergreen Smooth Foliage Color: Unknown - Tell us Height: 4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m) Spacing: 36-48 in. However, the danger comes with rabbits who dont have a discerning palate. If leaves continue to yellow and drop, you may need to spray your plant weekly to destroy new mealybugs as they emerge from their waxy egg sacs. Strangely enough, they don't mind the thorns on rose bushes and will happily munch them to the ground. Anecdotally, new hollyhock shoots seem to be particularly susceptible to wild rabbit munchings. Hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, columbine blooms a wide range of colorful flowers in May and June. They also tend to be pink or red in color while Mandevilla flowers come in a wider range of colors. There are two other types of marigold, however, that are toxic for rabbits. 27. Lemon Balm is a perennial herb that does best in cool weather. Most of the time when rabbits have enough safe plants to munch on, theyll ignore other unsafe plants because these dont taste as good. Rabbits will not even dig up carrots, though they will eat them if another creature has already uprooted them. They are popular for planting in colorful beds and containers thanks to their prolific bloom cycles, which last all season. Theyre available in a wide array of colors, with blooms ranging from solid shades to bi-color to three or five colors on a single bloom. Also like people, when rabbits are hungry enough, they'll eat just about anything. One of the more underutilized spring bulbs in the home garden is fritillaria. Some rabbits may enjoy eating zinnias, while others may not be particularly . The blooms range from bright red to shades of purple and blue. It can potentially cause digestive issues with rabbits, especially if eaten in large amounts. In particular, rabbits love to feast on tomatoes, corn, carrots, cucumbers, and hot peppers. 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. Horse nettle (also called bull nettle) is a different kind of plant and is not safe for rabbits to eat. This is another plant that is perfectly safe for rabbits to eat in moderation. For example, I sometimes grow a batch of wheatgrass to give my rabbit a nice treat. Marsh marigolds and french marigolds (also called african marigolds) are mildly toxic and should not be given to rabbits. It does need a support structure like a pole or stake. The whole plant is safe for rabbits, including the flower, leaves and stem. Native to the southern United States and South America, cleomes bear large flower clusters from midsummer until frost. 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. Outdoors. It is possible that rabbits will come and eat these plants if they are . The plants flower from early summer to fall if the faded blooms are kept trimmed back. Rabbits also tend to avoid plants that exude a milky sap. They will devour tender shoots in spring and gnaw through bark in the winter. Some gardeners say rabbits love to dine on their lantana, but others report that they avoid the plants because of the leaves' pungent aroma. I put together a guide that goes over all the basics of rabbit care so you have it all in one place. Rabbits prefer young, tender shoots, and are fond of marigolds, pansies, and petunias, among other flowers. Lungwort is a lovely shade-loving plant with an ugly name. If you notice signs of digging and bulbs or roots removed from the ground, this is usually not rabbit damage. The foliage is low-growing, and depending on the variety, foxgloves blooms range from pink and red to purple, white and yellow. It may even have some medicinal properties that can help calm a rabbit down. The teeth marks are often evident in the wood of the shrub or tree. Theres nothing quite like the frustration of carefully planting and caring for your garden, only for a family of rabbits to show up and mow your plants right down to the ground! Annual plants complete their entire life cycle within a single growing season. Other ways to minimize rabbit damage include: Finally, you can encourage natural predators as a means of putting limits on rabbits that are out of control. What Do Rabbits Eat? 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