So voracious are rabbits that it may be easier to list the plants that aren't eaten by rabbits than to list all the plants that are at risk. Yes, Rabbits can eat grapes, skin and all, but again, do not allow them to eat the seeds and they should only be fed in moderation. But it is very common for rodent and rabbit populations to dwindle when a fox or hawk shows up in the neighborhood. Instead of planting your basil, among other herbs, interplant it with rabbit favorites like lettuce and carrots. I'm about to plant my own onion sets this … This means that the rabbit will need to get their food fix from elsewhere. You can use any combination of the plants below as companion plants to protect your vegetables or other crops from rabbits’ invasion. Once it’s finished off its favorites, the critter will move on to the next least-offensive-tasting plant. Their sharp incisors most often leave a near-perfect, 45-degree angled cut in the stem. Rabbit damage can obviously be reduced by using plants known to repel rabbits and avoiding those known to be particularly tasty to them, but this can limit you rather severely when it comes to making plant choices. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) is an annual plant that produces colorful flowers. The first step is to figure out whether there are rabbits in or around the area. You can opt-out at any time. One or two seedless grapes, white or purple, given 1-2 times per week would equal a nice treat for them. As a general rule, plants rabbits don’t like include those that have strong scents, spines, prickles or leathery leaves. So, here are a few things that you can do to get rid of the rabbits trying to eat your plants. But despite popular depiction in animated cartoons, carrots are not a principal food for rabbits. 22 Answers. It’s the Pot Marigolds that are rabbit safe. David Beaulieu is a garden writer with nearly 20 years experience writing about landscaping and over 10 years experience working in nurseries. Although rabbits don’t jump they do dig, so block that pathway by burying the lowest 3-6 inches fencing underground and angle it away from the plants. By doing so you can extend the season of color and fragrance for up to a month. There are many people who will tell you that rabbits eat any plant if they get hungry or thirsty enough. Bellflower. The smell can help deter rabbits from your other garden plants, as well. Riskyt69. 7. "Pungent" includes "hot," and that includes mustard greens. Your email address will not be published. There are many species of wild rabbit found in the Leporidae family, and virtually all of them will readily feast on garden plants, ranging from herbs and vegetables to shrubs and even the bark of trees. Rabbits live in the meadow may eat many kinds of grasses that grow there. It is not difficult to identify when rabbits have been eating your plants. More so if there is a large population and they are hungry. They will also feed on flowers and other ornamental plants. Plant a mix of species and cultivars—they’re all resistant to deer and rabbits. Pungent and aromatic plants also deter rabbits, everything from most herbs to geraniums to onions. There are a few key points to bear in mind if you’re planning on growing plants for your bunnies to eat: – Your rabbits do not instinctively know all the plants … In fact, I get asked by people all the time about which plants wild rabbits eat. Just like people, rabbits prefer certain foods over others. The flowers and the plants will have started to die off. Deer-Resistant Plants Now that you know what not to plant, you undoubtedly yearn for information on which plants Bambi won't eat. The best way to spot a rabbit is to put a camera with night vision in a corner of the garden. At first I thought grasshoppers had done all this damage, until I saw the bunnies actually leaping out of my garden and popping right through the hurricane fence. The plants that will repel rabbits can either be scent-based or taste-based. Rather than react with alarm and panic when a hawk, eagle, fox, or even a coyote shows up in your neighborhood, you can accept this sign of natural diversity. Rose... 2. If you want to protect your precious tomato plants, you need to take action right away. Rabbits can wreak havoc with landscapes. As much as possible, keep your succulents in a secure location, away from your pets and young kids. You can use any combination of the plants below as companion plants to protect your vegetables or other crops from rabbits’ invasion. We live in town and have rabbits, squirrels and every once in awhile a possum passes through. Plants to Grow for Your Pet Rabbit – Important. Seeing a rabbit hop through a garden, nibbling on crops is an adorable sight…unless that garden is your garden and that carrot is one you planted. Rabbits prefer tender woody plants with thin bark, so new plants and shoots are at the most risk. I have some baby bunnies living in my garden now, and they are blessedly not eating much - but the garden is mostly herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and greens such as collards and mustard. By growing plants they dislike, or placing such plants next to the ones they do like, you may discourage feeding. Platycodon grandiflorus. Bee Balm plants love full sun and moist, well-drained soil, and do well in USDA zones 4-9. Baby's Breath. Rabbits are Not Carnivorous. They are easy to grow, and again, the seeds are quite big and easy to sa… So with that said, here are 11 plants that deer or rabbits will pass by in their search for a tasty meal. 1 1. daisy. Favourite answer. Some plants that do not appear on other resistant lists include alyssum, basil, carnations, chili peppers, cucumbers, dahlias, daylilies, Easter lily, eggplant, gladiola, … marigolds, plant them around your garden. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Although rabbits don’t jump they do dig, so block that pathway by burying the lowest 3-6 inches fencing underground and angle it away from the plants. Vegetables and Herbs. It’s a good idea to grow these plants around the edge of your garden with the plants that rabbits like inside. These 13 herbs are great to plant in your garden if you want items that rabbits usually avoid. what garden plants do rabbits not like to eat? They are big orange and yellow flowers – often sold as cut flowers, so good if you want something to pop in a vase inside that you don’t need to panic over when Scamp jumps the table, hops across a book shelf and sniffs the flowers with his teeth. What garden plants do rabbits prefer not to eat? Plant selection. The plants that will repel rabbits can either be scent-based or taste-based. Yes, Rabbits can eat grapes, skin and all, but again, do not allow them to eat the seeds and they should only be fed in moderation. Whatever your garden style there are plants to grow for your pet rabbit that will fit in. There are several major groups of begonias that are helpful with ridding your garden of rabbits since they will not eat them. Plants That Actually Repel Rabbits Shrubs. Some flowers exist that rabbits dislike, and it's worthwhile learning which these are for your garden's sake. Rabbits eat most plants when hungry, but you can live peaceably with them and have a flowering garden by selecting plants that rabbits usually avoid. Which Plants Do Rabbits Avoid? Pet rabbits eat up to 30 times per day, so they need a steady supply of food. Ivy is mildly poisonous to rabbits. Rabbits have favorite foods, and that’s why your neighbor’s plants may fare better than yours. So plant these so that you can enjoy the harvest instead of coming out to find everything eaten by rabbits! This page provides some choices of plants that are relatively resistant to rabbits. Garden Plants That Animals Will Not Eat. Tender green shoots will be gnawed off, often right to ground level. Daisies. I have some baby bunnies living in my garden now, and they are blessedly not eating much - but the garden is mostly herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and greens such as collards and mustard. Yes, rabbits will eat potato leaves, especially young rabbits. I lost a good crop of potatoes until I got a dog and let him loose in the garden. Rabbits can wreak havoc with landscapes. Plants Rabbits Won’t Eat As a general rule, plants rabbits don’t like include those that have strong scents, spines, prickles or leathery leaves. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is a perennial flower that begins to grow in the fall. Photo Credit: www.amazon.com 100 pcs / bag, Azalea seeds, potted seed, flower seed, variety complete, the budding rate 95%, (Mixed colors) So let's categorize some plants as "Favorite Food" and "Usually Won't Eat." They are particularly fond of sweet corn. Gypsophila paniculata. Texas sage ( Leucophyllum frutescens) trailing indigo bush ( Dalea greggii) verbena ( Verbena spp.) There’s 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! Instead, they will start to eat twigs, bark, and pine cones. Animals often spit out fuzzy or prickly plants, simply because they are uncomfortable to eat. Dandelions. Delicious Raisin Flapjacks with Golden Syrup, How to Remove Tomato Skins Before Cooking, Quick and Easy Decorative Wine Stem Wraps, Salvia Plants: Easy Summer Colour for Your Garden, Diosmas: A Very Hardy Plant for Your Garden, Recording Vegetable Garden Crop Placement, Quick and Easy Scone Recipe (Only 3 Ingredients! For more details, see our, 3 Ways to Keep Rabbits Out of Your Garden, Controlling and Deterring Rabbits in the Garden, 15 Recommended Flowering Shrubs for Your Home, 10 Best Deer-Resistant Shrubs for Landscaping, 18 Yellow-Flowering Plants for Your Garden. It is rare for a small wild predator to attack a domestic pet, and virtually unheard of for any human to ever be threatened by one. To learn what garden plants are harmful to rabbits, click this article. Answer Save. Just like people, rabbits prefer certain foods over others. Although rabbits will eat numerous plants in the garden and landscape, they particularly enjoy beans, peas (Pisum sativum) and carrots (Daucus carota). Like deer, rabbits do n What plants do rabbits eat? Some have strongly scented leaves or flowers, while others contain distasteful or poisonous substances. Rabbits also tend to avoid plants that exude a milky sap. 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 why most ‘people food’ is a no-no; rabbits can’t tolerate foods like bread, rice, chips, or chocolate for instance. Yes, rabbits will eat potato leaves, especially young rabbits. Some bulb plants can be especially dangerous because they can cause delayed symptoms in rabbits. It can be heartbreaking to lavish love and labor on your garden, only to have it devoured by wild animals. The rabbits had a bit of a nibble on the tender small plants but seemed to give up as the plants matured. Do not let a rabbit's cute appearance and shy demeanor fool you. Rabbits also tend to eat on the tomato plants and can easily cut down the entire vine. While cute, rabbits can be serious garden pests! What Garden Plants Do Rabbits Eat? Rabbits graze a wide range of plants and can cause sufficient damage to kill young trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Rabbits will not do this. Several plants can repel rabbits because of their smell or taste or their outlook. Rabbits love sugary fruit and will eat too much of … Pungent and aromatic plants also deter rabbits, everything from most herbs to geraniums to onions. Rabbits feed on beans throughout the growing season. Plants that are safe for rabbits 1. About Plants Rabbits Can’t Eat. Rose bushes are safe for rabbits to chew on. NOTE: This information taken from an article originally published in … Do not feed the pips, stones, plants etc of fruits unless otherwise stated, as most of the time they are poisonous! One or two seedless grapes, white or purple, given 1-2 times per week would equal a nice treat for them. ), Chewy Sultana Squares Recipe (Only 3 Ingredients! ). I was also shocked when all of my apricot foxgloves were eaten, stripped right down to the stems. Aster novae-angliae. It grows and blooms in... Black-Eyed Susan. And you shall find it on the next Grumpy Gardener appearing Wednesday, June 15. Bean plants eaten by rabbits. So, plant some sage in your garden to help deter rabbits, Begonia. Watters Garden Center in Prescott, Ariz. offers a list of plants that the piglike javalina will leave alone. If you have a garden, it’s good to know which plants wild rabbits like to eat. it was cute What vegetables in the garden do ladybugs eat? Fortunately, there are many flowering plants -- annuals, perennials and shrubs -- that rabbits generally avoid. In difficult conditions, rabbits will eat almost any plants, but in normal circumstances, there are some plants that rabbits find so tasty that they are drawn to landscapes containing them. What they will do, however, is eat the plants that these root vegetables go from i.e. Plants Rabbits Won’t Eat. If you let these tiny critters wander around your garden, they will eat your plants, even your succulents! These plants are not only beautiful plants that will make your yard or garden look amazing, but they are also unappetizing to rabbits! ... Raccoons do not eat garden plants but do eat fruits and berries from a garden. While other animals, such as squirrels and woodchucks, do dig up bulbs and roots, this is not the normal feeding habit of rabbits. Not that he would ever do that! Monarda varieties are easy to grow and produce pink, red, violet, or white flowers during summer to early fall.The flowers are super long lasting and look great in cut flower arrangements. Unfortunately for gardeners, rabbits happen to like lots of the same veggies we do—and even some of our non-edible plants. Several plants can repel rabbits because of their smell or taste or their outlook. Rabbits aren't so appealing when they eat your prized plants, but growing flowers that figure low on the list of bunny favorites can deter them. No, rabbits do not eat plants and animals. While these plants are not proven to repel rabbits, gardeners have found that these are all plants that rabbits tend to pass by and avoid. Garden Plants That Resist Rabbits. 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. Relevance. Above all, we need to know which foods are poisonous to rabbits. Which parts of plants are those? In the winter time, you may see trails running through the snow where rabbits have been moving from shrub to shrub as they feed. Changing the types of plants in your landscape is probably the best long-term approach and, once finished, the easiest one to maintain. Plant selection. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board, list of plants rabbits generally don't eat. Balloon Flower. Still, there are some plants that are so tasty to rabbits that merely to plant them is to risk inviting rabbits to take up residence in your yard. Rabbits should never be fed avocado, fruit pips, or rhubarb. Although rabbits are herbivores, there are certain plants they won’t eat. Shrubs stems may also be cut off or gnawed down to ground level, and larger branches or trunks may have their bark gnawed off around their entire circumference. While basil is one of those plants that rabbits won’t eat, you can also use it as a compost. They may munch on vegetables that have been dug up, but this is very, very rare. "Pungent" includes "hot," and that includes mustard greens. Do not feed a plant to your rabbit unless you are completely sure it is safe for them to eat. Aster, New England. Garden Plants That Resist Rabbits. 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. If you believe that your rabbit has ingested a plant or other substance that is poisonous, you should immediately call your vet for instructions. So plant these so that you can enjoy the harvest instead of coming out to find everything eaten by rabbits! Deer- and rabbit-resistant plants for your garden If you notice signs of digging and bulbs or roots removed from the ground, this is usually not rabbit damage. I came home one day and the rabbits had slipped through the wire mesh fencing in my backyard and had eaten all the leaves off my pepper plants. Texas rangera.k.a. I lost a good crop of potatoes until I got a dog and let him loose in the garden. Annuals. Rabbits can eat daffodils, for example, and appear fine for a little while, and then have a toxic reaction later on. However we do have pumpkins and zucchini growing in raised beds outside the main vegetable garden. That’s why rabbits have developed a process called coprophagy , which literally means eating faeces. Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) is an appealing pink-flowered plant packing a double whammy--with long thorns and latex sap, no rabbit will come near it. My neighbor planted some spring onion sets in his garden last week and told me that something chewed the tops off of two rows. Sage leaves are poisonous to rabbits. Managing rabbits in a low desert garden. Photo Credit: www.amazon.com 100 pcs / bag, Azalea seeds, potted seed, flower seed, variety complete, the budding rate 95%, (Mixed colors) If it hasn’t been unearthed and eaten, it’s probably safe to plant more of the same. There are two types of marigold – Pot/English Marigolds (Calendula officinalis) and French/African Marigolds (Tagetes). Snapdragon. They can cause severe damage to young plants, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and flowers. I’m sure they’d love to get at our lettuce, beans, carrots, radishes, strawberries, sunflowers, zinnias, etc. Plants rabbits tend to avoid include: Vegetables: asparagus, leeks, onions, potatoes, rhubarb, squash, tomatoes Do rabbits eat Zinnias Will my rabbit eat Zinnias? These dazzling red flowers might not be a rabbit’s favorite food, but hummingbirds sure do love them! Like people, different rabbits have different favorite foods. If you have bunnies that freely roam in your garden, it is important to know which plants including flowers that these pets may damage to safeguard them. However, fibres aren’t easy to digest, and so the intestines cannot extract all the nutrients from the grass during the first go. Young grasses are the most favorite to rabbits, however if there is no other better choices then any kind of grass is also fine. The best thing that you can do to reduce the population of rabbits is to try and make the property much less attractive to the rabbit populace. ), What to Do With Leftover Puff Pastry Scraps, Rabbits in My Garden (What They Will and Won’t Eat! Campanula species. While not incredibly nutritious, daisies can be a yummy treat for your rabbit. They learn what to eat by nibbling everything. They learn what to eat by nibbling everything. Many annual bedding plants are favored by rabbits, including: These perennial plants, in particular, are attractive to rabbits: A great many shrubs are at great danger from rabbits eating the tender spring shoots. This answer isn't very helpful to anyone trying to put in attractive landscape plants or grow a vegetable garden. Ivy. Fortunately, there are many flowering plants -- annuals, perennials and shrubs -- that rabbits generally avoid. By growing plants they dislike, or placing such plants next to the ones they do like, you may discourage feeding. Log in. There is no guarantee that any of the plants listed will remain free from damage in all conditions. An innate sense of danger often – but not always – steers animals away from plants that are toxic. They eat a wide variety of plants. It produces... Dutch Iris. Rabbits sniff a lot, so put aromatic plants, shrubs, and flowers in your garden. 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