RABBIT RESISTANT PLANTS
Here are a few tips on how you can make your landscape rabbit resistant.
- Use plants that are large enough to withstand nibbling.
- If plants are small, cage with chicken wire.
- Experiment with plants that are highly aromatic or sappy.
- Bury all drip system tubing.
- Avoid watering late afternoon and evening when rabbits are active.
- Rabbit resistant does not mean rabbit proof—if rabbits are hungry enough, they will try anything.
The following plants are known to be rabbit resistant:
Aloe – all varieties
Asparagus – ornamental, all varieties
Carissa species
Chrysanthemum – common garden varieties
Cuphea – C. hyssopifolia, C. ignea, and C. llavea best
Dalea – D. greggii, D. pulchra, D. bicolor, D. frutescens, etc.
Eremophila – E. maculata and E. decipiens best for our zone
Eucalyptus – all varieties are highly aromatic and have leaves low in water content
Euphorbia – E. rigida, E. lathyrus, E. millii, E. tirucalli, all good with acrid, milky sap that mot pest find distasteful
Euryops pectinatus
Feijoa sellowiana – versatile as shrub, tree or espalier
Gelsemium sempervirens
Iris – bearded, Dutch, Siberian, Japanese – all good for flower gardens with improved soil and moderate sun
Lantana – many choices of color and height
Larrea tridentata – native with good qualities for landscape
Lavendula – L. dentata, L. multifida, L. stoechas, L. vera
Macfadyena unguis cati–
Mentha – all varieties
Myoporum species
Nandina – many varieties in a range of heights
Nierembergia species
Nerium oleander
Oenothera – only O. caespitosa resistant; O. berlandieri and O. stubbii are rabbit magnets
Pelargonium – particularly scented varieties of which there are dozens of choices – strong enough scent to deter rabbits from flower bed area when planted around other desirable plants
Plumbago – P. auriculata and P. scandens
Rhaphiolepis species
Rosmarinus – upright or trailing; many cultivars
Santolina – S. chamaecyparissus and S. virens
Salvias – very large group of wonderful flowering woody shrubs and herbaceous perennials
Sophora – S. secundiflora best known, all varieties appropriate
Tagetes – T. lemmoni and T. lucida much more effective than garden varieties
Verbena – V. bipinnatifida, V. goodingii, V. rigida, and V. tenusecta best – flowers may be eaten
Vinca major
Vitex – V. agnus-castus and V. rotundifolia