Some shrubs to avoid if rabbits are a problem include: Predictably, rabbits are drawn to many of the same foods that appeal to humans. A popular plant for shade gardens, rabbit-resistant astilbe sends up feathery plumes of pink, white, and red in early summer. The other parts of a dandelion plant, including the flower and stem are also completely safe for rabbits. Shady gardens need rabbit-resistant shade plants. Of course, this doesnt include mint flavored candies or gum, but the plants are all safe for rabbits to eat. They can also take up space in an outdoor garden. It is a good source of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C. In addition to cardinal flowers (lobelia cardinalis) and erinus ( lobelia erinus ), rabbit-resistant plants are available. They come in both annual and perennial varieties. Its seeds and leaves also contain triterpenoids, which are toxic to rabbits and cause liver and kidney failure as well as gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea. When rabbits only have limited access to plants, their natural curiosity can take over causing the rabbit to nibble on whatever is available. 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. Rose bushes are safe for rabbits to chew on. Sedum/Stonecrop. But there are actually some plants that genuinely repel rabbits. A simple chicken wire cylinder around a tree or shrub can keep them at bay. Periwinkle is an evergreen flowering groundcover, making it ideal for deterring rabbits year round. 1. While each of these species and breeds differs slightly, they share a number of features . Roses, including petals and rose hips are safe for rabbits to eat. The Century Plant is one of the most popular Agave varieties for gardens. HGTV offers our picks of some of the best. 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. Related: How To: Make and Use Your Own Deer Repellent. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Vegetation that is not toxic and is readily available will often be munched by a wild rabbit. These are really beautiful flowers, coming in vibrant warm colors. Nasturtiums are tasty flowers for rabbits to snack on. Dyson vacuum comparison: Which Dyson model should you buy. Does your rabbit like to flip over their food bowls? Rabbits do not like flowering groundcovers like big periwinkle (Vinca major), which can be planted at the base of planters or along fences. Catmint Companion Plants: Tips On Planting Next To Catmint Herbs, Spicing It Up With Exotic Culinary Herbs: Exotic Herbs To Grow In Your Garden, Growing Oriental Poppies: Tips On How To Grow Oriental Poppy, How To Create A Secret Garden In Your Own Backyard, Reasons For No Brussels Sprouts On Plants, Boston Ivy On Walls: Will Boston Ivy Vines Damage Walls, Canopy Thinning: Tips For Thinning Canopies In Trees, Willowherb Information: Tips For The Control Of Willowherb, Holiday Cactus Varieties: What Are The Different Types Of Holiday Cactus, Home & Garden Marketplace: Advertiser Info. Adding fencing can be most effective. Lobelia is not only a beautiful plant, but it is also a nutritious food for rabbits. This page provides some choices of plants that are relatively resistant to rabbits. 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. The vine-like plant looks pretty appealing to rabbits. link to 6 Reasons Rabbits Will Flip Over Their Food and Water Bowls, Learn more about the types of herbs that have health benefits for rabbits, Learn more about how grass can be added to your rabbits regular diet, Second Cutting Timothy Hay from Small Pet Select, Read more about why I recommend this product. Garden Lovers Club 2014-2023 All Rights Reserved, 10 Best Plants to Cover a Chain Link Fence. So when you plant rosemary, lavender, thyme, bee balm, and mint to discourage deer, you are also planting rabbit-resistant herbs. Dipladenia plant care. Snapdragon varieties range from dwarf types to giants that grow 3 to 4 feet tall, so theres a size for every sunny garden space. Spray your plant with insecticidal soap and recheck it often for signs of mealybugs. These plants, called carolina jasmine or yellow jasmine, are toxic to rabbits. A rabbit loves to eat flowers, especially when it is the year when the warm season dominates. Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) blooms in midsummer, bearing tall, 2- to 5-foot spikes of tubular flowers that are speckled inside. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained, moist soil. North Dakota State University suggests mixing three fresh jalapeno peppers, ground in a blender, with enough water to make a liquid solution. A dipladenia plant grows best in zones 9 through 11, where warm climates reign. Pot marigolds are also safe for rabbits to eat. If you want to experiment in an area where rabbits are a problem, avoid planting an entire row or bed of them. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Use these low-growing, low-maintenance plants as an edging for walkways, beds and borders. Important: These are Affiliate links. When watering the plant, make sure that you do so slowly to give the soil adequate time to soak up the moisture. (90-120 cm) Hardiness: However, although there are no guaranteed rabbit proof plants, some plants are less appetizing and more likely to be passed by. Look for varieties with bronzy tones infused in the leaves for extra color even after the blooms fade. 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. Zinnias are some of the most popular annual flowers because they are durable and easy to grow in harsh conditions. Rabbits are . Scale 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. The Spruce /Micah Issitt and Adrienne Legault. Mix two or three of the vegetables from the list below to give your bunny. But despite popular depiction in animated cartoons, carrots are not a principal food for rabbits. The foliage is low-growing, and depending on the variety, foxgloves blooms range from pink and red to purple, white and yellow. They haven't touched the plant at all in my garden. 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. If youre planting seeds, sow them on the surface of the soil after all chance of frost has passed. 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. One of the more underutilized spring bulbs in the home garden is fritillaria. Periwinkle is an evergreen flowering groundcover,. Chamomile is a completely safe herb for rabbits to eat. If youre trying to grow these safe garden plants or potted flowers, you may want to keep them away from your rabbit anyway. Unfortunately, these plants will not deter them completely. So its better to only give your rabbit clover as the occasional yummy treat. Thyme is part of the mint family. What Do Rabbits Like to Eat? of vegetable oil and a couple drops of liquid dish soap. Squirrels, deer, and other animals like feeding on the succulent leaves and stems of the bushy perennials. Sign up for our newsletter. 10/15/19. The flower spikes appear in cheery shades of blue, pink, and white. They only eat the leaves and softer parts of the plant. There are countless inter-related variables affecting what rabbits will eat in any given year. Whether you love the strong aroma of marigold or not, rabbits tend to avoid it. This unrelated type of nettle has high amounts of a chemical called solanine. It should be no surprise that plants with a strong fragrance or fuzzy leaves like lavender and black-eyed Susan are less popular with rabbits. Sometimes called the Lenten rose, hellebores are a dainty bloom, one of the first beautiful flowers to announce the arrival of spring. Her bylines have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and several other publications. Snapdragons grow best in spring and fall, when temperatures are mild but not too hot or cold. Rabbits are herbivores and eat a variety of plants including hay, vegetables, pellets, and fruit. An innate sense of danger often but not always steers animals away from plants that are toxic. Give them full sun and rich, well-drained soil, and theyll rebloom into early summer. 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. Verbena flowers range from pure white to shades of red, pink, or purple. Rabbits may not like bee balm, but hummingbirds sure do. Make your own rabbit deterrent spray. Safe flowers can be given in moderation, but shouldnt make up a large portion of a rabbits diet. Lobularia maritima bears clusters of tiny white, lavender, violet or pink flowers in spring. However, it depends on the specific rabbit's diet and preferences. Both plants produce colorful blooms in red, pink, or white. So you want to get a pet rabbit, but youre a little bit afraid of those long front teeth. I put together a guide that goes over all the basics of rabbit care so you have it all in one place. Keep the flowers deadheaded to encourage repeat blooms. Rabbits inflict their most significant damage in fall by chewing on woody plants until they're more vulnerable to cold. But if one of these unfortunate events does occur, you can at least know that your rabbits health is not at risk. Visible signs that rabbits are finding and eating your pumpkins are: Clean Cuts on Plant Parts: Unlike insects and other pests that leave jagged-edged cuts on leaves and other plant parts that they eat, rabbits leave clean cuts. 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. Least know that your rabbits health is not only a beautiful plant, but it is a! Eat flowers, especially when it is also a nutritious food for rabbits affecting what rabbits will eat in given... The bushy perennials will not deter them completely these plants, their natural curiosity can take causing... 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