Rabbits usually enter gardens from adjoining common land, farms or woods. 6 Reasons Rabbits Will Flip Over Their Food and Water Bowls. After about a decade of population growth, rabbit numbers crash as foxes, coyotes, hawks, and other natural predators hunt them. The french marigolds are slightly less toxic and are likely to only cause some skin irritation, but its best to be on the safe side and keep them away from rabbits. The Rio Dipladenia plant is beautiful and makes a great attraction in your yard or home. Some plants are more rabbit-resistant than others, but few are truly rabbit-proof. Keep the flowers deadheaded to encourage repeat blooms. This clean-cut damage often happens at ground level, as rabbits tend to eat the yummy green shoots of tulips and other plants. This low maintenance plant can easily be divided to create more individual plants for the garden. Most of the time when rabbits have enough safe plants to munch on, theyll ignore other unsafe plants because these dont taste as good. Bok choy. Both plants produce colorful blooms in red, pink, or white. They come in dozens of size categories, bloom colors, and flower types. Known as a hardy, drought-resistant perennial, yarrow works well in sun-loving cottage garden settings and in wildflower gardens. Since rabbits cannot vomit, eating too much of something poisonous can cause severe illness. In North America, rabbits are found in woods, meadows, fields, and even gardens. 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. Dipladenia plants are hardy and perennial in USDA Zones 9 or 10. Visit the USDA website to determine whether its safe to grow in your region. 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. Fortunately, there are many flowering plants -- annuals, perennials and shrubs -- that rabbits generally avoid. Their diets include grasses, clover and some cruciferous plants, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. The answer is most certainly not. Rabbits can wreak havoc with landscapes. Shady gardens need rabbit-resistant shade plants. Their upright blade-like foliage has an eye-catching form, even when the plants aren't in bloom. 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. 1, 2020. doi:10.1136/vetreco-2020-000402. Rabbits are herbivores who feed on a wide variety of plant life. 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. 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. Rabbits prefer young, tender shoots, and are fond of marigolds, pansies, and petunias, among other flowers. After blooming, its clusters of showy seed pods dry out as they mature and create a unique rattling noise in the breeze. Irises. Though the leaves are its best feature, lamb's ears also produces spikes of pink flowers throughout the summer. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained, moist soil. Pansies are so tasty that even some people (who have fewer taste buds than rabbits) sometimes add it to a salad. 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. Ajuga, or Bugleweed plants, are perfect for ground cover, and may be rose, white, or purple. If you want to experiment in an area where rabbits are a problem, avoid planting an entire row or bed of them. The pretty spotted or variegated foliage adds interest when the plant isn't blooming, and has a rough texture that rabbits tend to avoid. Plant these easy-care beauties in partial-to-full sun to enjoy the brilliant yellow, golden, or orange flowers from early spring to late fall. Photo By: Image courtesy of Proven Winners. They thrive in cool weather, but succumb to heat and humidity. These do best with full sunlight, but can survive in partial shade. Grow geraniums in full sun and keep the faded flowers removed to encourage reblooming. So when you plant rosemary, lavender, thyme, bee balm, and mint to discourage deer, you are also planting rabbit-resistant herbs. Also known as pot or English marigolds, calendulas are related to French and African marigolds. Thyme is part of the mint family. They will gnaw on the woody stems during the wintertime. The Century Plant is one of the most popular Agave varieties for gardens. Look around your garden for pea-sized droppings in small piles, or check your plants for chewed marks. Copyright 2023 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. Sedum/Stonecrop. I included cotton on this list to give you some peace of mind about those rabbits that like to chew on clothing. Lobularia maritima bears clusters of tiny white, lavender, violet or pink flowers in spring. Many people believe that hay in rabbit cages are simply for bedding. Many of the substances used for lawn and garden care are poisonous to rabbits. Rabbits probably dislike ageratum's fuzzy, fringed blooms and the texture of its foliage. Crown imperial is one of the most popular species. This low-care plant is wonderfully drought resistant, too, so you can plant it and enjoy it without much care. Plant daylilies in full to partial sunlight, preferably in moist soil that drains well. 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. Black Eyed Susans are native to North America and are one of the most popular wildflowers grown in gardens. But apart from that, we must provide a series of care, which are: Alliums, also known as ornamental onions, are rarely eaten by rabbits and other critters due to their pungent smell. This plant has a musky scent, which rabbits despise. Unfortunately, these plants will not deter them completely. It's not a plant that's considered edible, but the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals doesn't list it as a toxic plant for your pet. It will die back in freezing weather, but regrow in the spring. Some gardeners are able to grow sunflowers by sprinkling blood meal, human hair, cow manure, fox urine or other repellants in the garden, or by planting a border of other rabbit-resistant plants around them. Columbine, or honeysuckle, is from the genus Aquilegia. They are herbivores and can make a quick meal of your garden. of vegetable oil and a couple drops of liquid dish soap. Cottontail rabbits eat a wide variety of plant foods including grasses, sedges, sprouts, leaves, fruits, buds, and bark. One of the more ornamental herbs, lavender produces wonderfully fragrant foliage and flowers. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Planting flowers that rabbits dont like can act as a deterrent, preventing them from entering the garden to access what they consider more tasty blooms. Marsh marigolds and french marigolds (also called african marigolds) are mildly toxic and should not be given to rabbits. Alyssum was just "in front of their nose" around alyssum so why not eat? Chives and other alliums (such as onions), sage, yarrow, and catmint are just as distasteful to rabbits as they are to deer. Lungwortis as attractive as it is rabbit-resistant. Whether you keep them potted inside or grow them in a garden, you may not want your rabbit to get ahold of these flowers because of how beautiful they are. Dipladenia requires full direct sunlight in areas where it is grown in the ground - at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Rabbits probably avoid them because theyre stiff and papery. Here is a quick look at the best foods to offer rabbits: Grass And Hay. But just like most animals, rabbits will eat just about anything if theyre hungry enough! The flowers are long-lasting and beautiful for cut bouquets. Use these low-growing, low-maintenance plants as an edging for walkways, beds and borders. Fortunately, a lot of the same plants that deer don't like are also disliked by rabbits. Dipladenia plant care. 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. This plant often left alone in a garden, even when rabbits have access to it. Zinnias are some of the most popular annual flowers because they are durable and easy to grow in harsh conditions. They feed bees and butterflies and self-sow their seeds prolifically. Theyre easy to grow but prefer full sun, although they will tolerate light shade, particularly in hot climates. Since rabbits have evolved to be herbivorous, they do not eat anything that comes from animals, such as meat or eggs. Also called english marigolds, these big, bright orange or yellow flowers dont have to be grown in a pot. Stinging nettle and dead nettle are both safe for rabbits to eat. They need regular watering, but can tolerate short droughts. Mix two or three of the vegetables from the list below to give your bunny. It is possible that rabbits will come and eat these plants if they are . This popular shade perennial comes in a number of varieties that offer sprays of pink orblue flowersin the spring. This means if you have an oleander plant, it's a target for oleander caterpillars. The Dipladenia Assortment produces beautiful deep red, hot pink or white flowers that are perfect for brightening up your yard and home. Try interplanting planting highly fragrant herbs and flowers, plants with prickly, hairy leaves, and toxic plants with your vegetables and ornamentals to help confuse and repel rabbits. Just be careful that you dont have a false jasmine plant. Tulips. Lavender. While there are some exceptions, most plants that are toxic for rabbits are only mildly poisonous. Mints are all safe for rabbits to eat. Lilies. The flowers, leaves and stems are all edible and are not poisonous to rabbits. Poppies. Its glossy divided foliage adds wonderful texture and color to a small-space shade garden. 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. You may see these drought-tolerant annuals referred to as corn poppies, Flanders poppies or field poppies. 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. They can eat the stems, leaves, flowers, and even the sprouts. David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. Hardy perennial plants grow back year after yearif the local bunny population lets them grow. I put together a guide that goes over all the basics of rabbit care so you have it all in one place. HARDINESS ZONE.10-12 GROW.Mandevilla seeds require shallow planting, only covering them slightly with soil. However, it depends on the specific rabbit's diet and preferences. Ive designed adorable bunny apparel! Learn about plants and flowers that are poisonous to rabbits. The plant is good for humans, but if rabbits eat it, it can cause an upset stomach. Catnip is not a very showy plant, so it can be planted near more showy blooms, like Purple Cone Flowers. 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