Rabbits in the woodland garden
Our gardens need to welcome all critters big and small
Let’s face it, rabbits, like deer, are a reality in the woodland garden.
I’ve never had a “problem” with rabbits. Maybe it’s the fact that a garden in a natural state ensures that nothing really gets out of control. Sure, rabbits have dined on my plants and the bark of trees in winter, but I’ve never felt a need to do anything about them and, quite frankly, never would.
I think the key to dealing with rabbits and deer and any other garden nibbler is to plant enough to satisfy the needs of both the gardener and the wildlife that uses our gardens to survive, raise their young and live their lives in peace.
In our garden, we have hostas that every deer and rabbit seems to love. They are old style and came with the house. I plant them everywhere by dividing them regularly. The deer and rabbits are welcome to them. My hope is by offering them these hostas they will leave my other plants alone.
It works… to some degree.
Of course using plants that rabbits and deer don’t care for is a good first step. There are multiple posts on line listing plants that rabbits don’t eat. You can find a list of a few of the plants – both native and non-native – later in this post.
I’m sure our resident foxes, owls and possibly even the odd coyote take care – in short order – of any abundance of rabbits in the neighbourhood. They are also doing a good job with mice, rats and voles that decide to take up residence in the garden. For more on natural predators, go to my post on The Urban Fox.
I try not to get too friendly with any rabbit that appears in the garden knowing that it’s like not going to be here for the long term and keeping it as wild as possible may be the difference between life and death.
If a rabbit is causing you grief, it’s important to remember that they are prey for so many animals that their life expectancy is so short that there is a good chance that any damage they cause to plants is likely short lived.
According to the Audubon Society cottontails: “have a life expectancy of less than two years. Nearly half the young die within a month of birth, largely because cottontails are important links in many food chains.”
In fact, if you are looking to attract higher predators, rabbits will surely get the job done. Hawks, owls, fox, coyotes and a host of other animals consider rabbits fair game.
Enjoy them whenever you see them, but don’t get too attached to seeing them in the garden unless you like having your heart broken.
“I think the key to dealing with rabbits and deer and any other garden nibbler is to plant enough to satisfy the needs of both the gardener and the wildlife that uses our gardens to survive, raise their young and live their lives in peace.”
If you are “collecting” plants rather than creating a natural habitat, then a single rabbit family can cause havoc in the eyes of that gardener. Don’t be a collector of specialized plants if you live with rabbits, deer and other grazers. Or, if you must grow these prized plants, just give them proper protection.
Personally a garden dotted with small fences around prized plants has never looked very appealing to me. My motto is: “if it can’t make it on its own, it’s out. I’m not fighting Mother Nature. That’s not a win, it’s a lifelong battle. Yet so many gardeners choose to accept that lifelong challenge.
There are lots of ingenious ways gardeners have devised to protect plants to varying degrees of success.
My neighbour, for example, uses sticks poking up through hostas to keep deer from devouring them. I’m sure it helps to some degree and still has a more or less natural look.
Rabbits are a little more difficult to keep out of areas of the garden. Obviously, if you’re growing vegetables, a fence around the vegetable patch that goes deep underground should get the job done. If you only want a few veggies for the kitchen, one or two raised planters are another option worth investigating.
The raised planters may not keep deer, squirrels and raccoons out, but they do a good job with rabbits.
Always be kind to rabbits and other wildlife
The last thing we should be doing is going on the attack against these helpless garden visitors.
I remember being on a garden tour a few years ago and having to listen to a man bragging about what he does to rabbits that dare set up a home in his precious garden and dine on his prized plants.
It was enough for me to speak out and offer the man a few choice words he could take home to his precious garden.
Don’t be this type of gardener. Open up your garden to wildlife big and small and I guarantee the rewards will be so much more than watching a hosta bloom.
Ten Native plants rabbits stay away from eating
One of the problems with rabbits is that they seem to like everything that grows in our gardens.
There are, however, plants that these little critters are not interested in munching.
Here is a short list of native plants that should escape most rabbits.
Native plants play a crucial role in creating a sustainable and wildlife-friendly garden. When it comes to deterring rabbits, incorporating native plants that they typically avoid can be a smart strategy. Here is a list of 10 native plants to North America that rabbits don't eat:
• Echinacea: Also known as coneflowers, these colorful and drought-tolerant plants are not a favorite snack for rabbits. Check out my post on the Purple Coneflower.
• Black-eyed Susan: With their bright yellow petals, black-eyed Susans add a pop of color to your garden while repelling rabbits. Check out my post on Black-Eyed Susans.
• Butterfly Weed: As a member of the milkweed family, butterfly weed is unpalatable to rabbits but attracts Monarch butterflies and their caterpillars. Check out my earlier post on Butterfly Weed and Milkweed for monarchs.
• Wild Bergamot: This fragrant perennial, also called bee balm, is a native plant that rabbits tend to avoid. For more on Bergamot, check out my post on growing wild bergamot.
• Joe Pye Weed: With its tall, pinkish-purple blooms, Joe Pye weed is a rabbit-resistant plant that adds height to your garden. For more on Joe Pie Weed, check out my post on growing Joe Pye Weed.
• Goldenrod: A late-season bloomer, goldenrod is not on the menu for rabbits and provides a vibrant touch to your landscape. For more on Goldenrod, check out my earlier post on growing Goldenrod.
• Wild Columbine: The unique shape and colors of wild columbine flowers make them a beautiful addition that rabbits tend to steer clear of. For more, check out my post on Eastern Wild Columbine or Rocky Man Columbine.
• Cardinal Flower: This striking red flower attracts hummingbirds but deters rabbits, making it a great choice for a wildlife-friendly garden. For more, check out my post on Cardinal Flowers.
• Wild Ginger: With its heart-shaped leaves and subtle flowers, wild ginger is a native plant that rabbits are not interested in nibbling on.
• Virginia Bluebells: These delicate, bell-shaped flowers are not a preferred snack for rabbits, making them a lovely addition to your garden.
Non-native plants rabbits prefer not to eat.
• Marigolds: These colorful flowers not only brighten up your garden but also repel rabbits due to their strong scent.
• Geraniums: Another fragrant option, geraniums are known to deter rabbits from munching on your plants.
• Daffodils: While toxic to rabbits if ingested, the strong smell of daffodils usually keeps them at bay.
• Lavender: Its aromatic scent makes lavender a great addition to your garden as a natural rabbit repellent.
• Foxglove: Toxic to rabbits, foxglove is typically avoided.
• Lamb's Ear: The fuzzy texture of lamb's ear leaves is a deterrent.
• Onions: The strong flavor of onions/alliums is a turn-off for rabbits, making them a good addition to your garden.
• Garlic: Similar to onions, garlic's pungent taste repels rabbits from your plants.
• Catnip: While attractive to cats, catnip is known to repel rabbits due to its strong scent.
My close encounter with this cute bunny
My inspiration for this post came when I recently stumbled across this cute little fellow during a drive in the country looking for bluebirds and other spring migrants.
I noticed something ahead on the dirt road that appeared to be eating something. Once I got close enough, I recognized it as a small rabbit probably licking road salt from the winter’s salting program.
As I approached, it hopped to the side of the road. I would have drove off accept I noticed it sitting in the grasses on the roadside and, since I had my 300mm f4.5 resting in the passenger seat beside me, I decided to see if it would allow me to get some images of it from inside the car.
Sure enough, the little rabbit was not afraid and posed nicely for me for a few minutes before we went our separate ways.
Her calm and trusting disposition reminded me how sweet these animals are and how – whether they know it or not – they are threatened every minute of their lives by predators including we humans.
Let’s not be part of that stress in these sweet animals’ lives.
There’s no need to add gardeners to their already long list of predators. We can learn to live with them.
In fact, I would encourage you to invite these beautiful animals into your yard. Enjoy watching them and their families and embrace their cuteness.
Life is too short to worry about that prized hosta.
Author Profile: Vic MacBournie is a former journalist and author/owner of the award-winning website and newsletter Ferns & Feathers. He writes about his woodland wildlife garden that he has created over the past 25 years and enjoys sharing his garden photography with readers.
