Rabbit-resistant plants
Rabbits graze a wide range of plants and can kill young trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. This page provides some choices of plants that are relatively resistant to rabbits. There is no guarantee that any of the plants listed will remain free from damage in all conditions. Recent plantings and soft growth in the spring can be eaten, even if the plants are not susceptible at other times. Gardeners may get some additional ideas by seeing what plants survive rabbits in neighbouring gardens.
Quick facts
Five usually rabbit-resistant plants for:
Shade: Hellebores
Full sun: Sunflowers
Containers: Impatiens (busy Lizzie)
Small tree: Laurus nobilis (bay tree)
Shrub: Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush)
Shade: Hellebores
Full sun: Sunflowers
Containers: Impatiens (busy Lizzie)
Small tree: Laurus nobilis (bay tree)
Shrub: Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush)
Introduction
Practical considerations
Where feasible, rabbit-proof fencing can be installed around the garden to exclude rabbits. Individual woody plants may be fitted with tree guards or spirals (biodegradable tree spirals made from potato starch are available).
Suitable plants
Perennials
- Acanthus species (bear's breeches)
- Aconitum species (monkshood)
- Agapanthus (African lily)
- Ajuga reptans (bugle)
- Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle)
- Allium (ornamental onions)
- Alstroemeria (Peruvian lily)
- Anaphalis
- Anchusa azurea
- Anemone coronaria
- Anemone hupehensis & A. × hybrida (Japanese anemones)
- Antirrhinum (snapdragon)
- Aquilegia (columbine)
- Artichoke, globe and Jerusalem
- Aster novae-angliae (Michaelmas daisy)
- Aster novi-belgii (Michaelmas daisy)
- Astilbe
- Bergenia species (elephant's ears)
- Brunnera macrophylla
- Chionodoxa luciliae (glory of the snow)
- Colchicum (autumn crocus)
- Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley)
- Cortaderia selloana (pampas grass)
- Corydalis
- Crinum
- Crocosmia
- Cyclamen (hardy cyclamen)
- Dahlia (dahlias)
- Digitalis (foxgloves)
- Doronicum (leopard's bane)
- Echinops (globe thistle)
- Epimedium
- Eranthis hyemalis (winter aconite)
- Eremurus (foxtail lily)
- Eryngium agavifolium (sea holly)
- Erythronium dens-canis (dog's tooth violet)
- Eschscholzia californica (California poppy)
- Eupatorium cannabinum (hemp agrimony)
- Euphorbia (spurges)
- Fritillaria (fritillaries)
- Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop)
- Gentiana asclepiadea (willow gentian)
- Helenium autumnale
- Helianthus (sunflowers)
- Helleborus (not H. niger ) (hellebore)
- Hemerocallis (day lily)
- Hesperantha coccinea
- Heuchera sanguinea (coral flower)
- Hyacinthoides non-scripta (bluebell)
- Impatiens (busy Lizzie)
- Iris (irises)
- Kniphofia (red hot poker)
- Lamium (dead nettles)
- Lavatera trimestris
- Leucojum (snowflakes)
- Linum perenne (flax)
- Liriope muscari
- Lupinus (lupins)
- Lychnis
- Lysimachia clethroides
- Macleaya cordata
- Malva moschata (musk mallow)
- Melissa officinalis (bee balm)
- Mentha (mints)
- Miscanthus sinensis
- Muscari (grape hyacinth)
- Myosotis (forget-me-not)
- Narcissus (daffodil)
- Nepeta × faassenii (catmint)
- Nicotiana alata
- Orchids, hardy
- Origanum vulgare (marjoram)
- Paeonia (peonies)
- Papaver somniferum (opium poppy)
- Petasites fragrans (winter heliotrope)
- Phormium tenax (New Zealand flax)
- Phytolacca (poke weed)
- Polemonium (Jacob's ladder)
- Polygonatum × hybridum (Solomon's seal)
- Polygonum
- Potato
- Primula vulgaris (primrose)
- Pulmonaria spp. (lungwort)
- Rhubarb
- Salvia × superba
- Saxifraga × urbium (London pride)
- Sedum spectabile (ice plant)
- Senecio cineraria (sea ragwort)
- Stachys byzantina (lamb's ears)
- Tagetes erecta (African marigold)
- Tagetes patula (French marigold)
- Tradescantia virginiana
- Trillium grandiflorum (wake robin)
- Tritonia crocata
- Trollius europaeus (globe flower)
- Tulipa (tulips)
- Verbascum thapsus (mullein)
- Verbena
- Viola odorata (violet)
- Xerochrysum bracteatum (everlasting flower)
- Zinnia elegans
Trees and shrubs
- Alnus (alder)
- Araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle tree)
- Arbutus menziesii
- Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree)
- Arundinaria (bamboo)
- Aucuba japonica (spotted laurel)
- Berberis (barberry)
- Betula (birch)
- Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush)
- Buxus sempervirens (box)
- Ceanothus
- Chimonanthus praecox (winter sweet)
- Choisya ternata (Mexican orange)
- Cistus
- Clematis
- Cornus sanguinea (dogwood)
- Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar)
- Cytisus (broom)
- Daphne laureola (spurge laurel)
- Daphne mezereum (mezereum)
- Deutzia scabra
- Elaeagnus pungens 'Maculata'
- Escallonia
- Eucalyptus (gum tree)
- Euonymus europaeus (spindle tree)
- Euonymus latifolius
- Fatsia japonica
- Fuchsia - hardy types
- Gaultheria mucronata
- Gaultheria shallon
- Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn)
- Hydrangea
- Hypericum calycinum (rose of Sharon)
- Kalmia latifolia (calico bush)
- Laburnum
- Laurus nobilis (bay tree)
- Lavatera cvs. (tree mallow)
- Ligustrum ovalifolium (privet)
- Lonicera (honeysuckle)
- Olearia × haastii
- Paeonia (peonies - 'tree' types)
- Philadelphus spp. (mock orange)
- Pinus nigra (Corsican pine)
- Poncirus trifoliata (Japanese bitter orange)
- Prunus laurocerasus (cherry laurel)
- Prunus (cherries)
- Rhododendron spp. including azaleas
- Rhus typhina (sumach)
- Ribes (currant - fruiting and ornamental types)
- Rosa (spiny species roses, not hybrid teas)
- Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary)
- Ruscus aculeatus (butcher's broom)
- Ruta graveolens (rue)
- Sambucus (elder)
- Sarcococca (winter box)
- Skimmia japonica
- Symphoricarpos albus (snowberry)
- Syringa vulgaris (lilac)
- Viburnum opulus (snowball bush, guelder rose)
- Viburnum tinus (laurus tinus)
- Vinca (periwinkle)
- Weigela hybrids
- Yucca
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