Flowers That Rabbits Do Not Eat in the Garden
For centuries, humans and rabbits have battled for garden supremacy. Beatrix Potter immortalized this struggle in her story, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit." Peter and his siblings were interested in chomping the young vegetables in Farmer McGregor's garden, but real rabbits are just as likely to eat flowering annuals and perennials. Though no plant is completely immune to an extremely hungry rabbit, there are many lovely flowering species and varieties that are relatively unattractive to these voracious eaters. With careful selection, it is possible to enjoy three seasons of bloom with little rabbit damage.
Spring Flowering Plants
Rabbits will generally avoid the following spring bloomers: columbine, daffodil, crocus, bleeding heart, fleabane, iris, forget-me-not, catmint, hellebore and violet.
Summer Flowering Plants
Summer is high season in the flower garden. Rabbits will most likely turn away from: ageratum, campanula, impatiens, scabiosa, cineraria, cranesbill, California poppy, coreopsis, yarrow, foxglove, coneflower, gaillardia daisy, daylily, amaryllis, astilbe, monarda, verbena, candytuft, red-hot poker, salvia, lamium, poppies, rudbekia, veronica and penstemon.
- For centuries, humans and rabbits have battled for garden supremacy.
- Peter and his siblings were interested in chomping the young vegetables in Farmer McGregor's garden, but real rabbits are just as likely to eat flowering annuals and perennials.
Fall Flowering Plants
Many summer blooming plants continue throughout the fall. In addition, rabbits dislike aster, dahlia and cyclamen.
Rabbits Out Of The Garden & Yard
Enclose your garden with a fence. Rabbits cannot jump high, but they can dig. It is imperative that you bury at least 8 inches of your fence in the ground to keep them out. Pieces of black garden hose can do the trick. Onion, shallots, and leeks are all rabbit deterrents and can send rabbits away without lunch. Plant a variety of clovers, grasses and other favorite plants of rabbits away from your garden to give rabbits something to eat other than your plants. This keeps rabbits from munching on bark. Plant rabbit-resistant plants. Rabbit-resistant trees include redbud, cedar and maple.
- Many summer blooming plants continue throughout the fall.
- Onion, shallots, and leeks are all rabbit deterrents and can send rabbits away without lunch.
- Rutgers University: If Plants Could Talk: Keeping Rabbits Away from Desirable Plants in Your Garden and Landscape
- Penn State Cooperative Extension (Monroe County): Rabbit-Resistant Plants
- Rutgers: Keeping Rabbits Away from Desirable Plants in Your Garden and Landscape
- Oregon State University: How to keep rabbits from dining on trees and shrubs
- The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control; Barbara W. Ellis et. al
- Gardening with Ed Hume: Northwest Gardening Made Easy; Ed Hume
Elisabeth Ginsburg, a writer with over 20 years' experience, earned an M.A. from Northwestern University and has done advanced study in horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden. Her work has been published in the "New York Times," "Christian Science Monitor," "Horticulture Magazine" and other national and regional publications.