What Do Rabbits Like to Eat?
Rabbits are herbivores and tend to eat all parts of a plant—from the roots and the stems to soft, tender leaves and flowers—preferring new growth over old.
And while Looney Tunes showed Bugs Bunny perpetually chomping on a carrot, in reality, rabbits don’t typically spend time digging up root vegetables (and if they do eat a root vegetable, it’s most likely because another animal dug up the vegetable for them). Instead, they usually opt to nibble on the green tops, which still ruins the crop just the same.
Pro Tip: Mike Fargione, a Cornell University biologist who has studied wildlife deterrents, notes that rabbits “chomp away bark from ground level to a foot above ground,” which helps identify them as the culprit versus other garden pests like woodchucks that feed higher up.
How to Keep Rabbits From Eating Your Garden Plants
The simplest way to make your garden less appetizing for these little critters is to avoid the varieties that they love the most. The plants that rabbits prefer to eat are grasses, roses, clovers, daisies, dandelions, kale, spinach, broccoli, beans, and lettuce.
But if you still want to include these plants, there are also a few other tricks for making rabbits disappear from your garden. Consider adding plants with a strong scent—a rabbit’s sense of smell is much stronger than a human’s.
They are also not crazy about anything with a bitter taste, prickles, thorns, fuzzy foliage, tough leathery leaves, or woody stems. So you could create a border using these plants to surround your other more susceptible crops to help deter rabbits and keep them out. Of course, a hungry rabbit will eat just about anything, but making your garden less tempting will hopefully have them scurrying to look for a tastier meal elsewhere.
Rabbit-Resistant Flowers, Plants, & Ground Covers
Daffodil
- Where Daffodils Grow Best: Hardy to Zones 3-9
- Maintenance of Daffodils: Easy to grow, these flowers flourish in full and partial sun, and well-drained soil makes a great natural border—potentially protecting your growing garden.
Pro Tip: According to This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook, “If in the first year all your tulips bloom, the following year you’ll probably see about 90 percent. By the third year they usually drop below 50 percent, so expect about three years out of them.” The same principle applies to protecting bulbs from rabbits — daffodils offer a more reliable, long-term solution since they’re naturally unpalatable to most garden pests.
English Ivy
- Where English Ivy Grows Best: Hardy to Zones 4-8
- Maintenance of English Ivy: Partial to full shade. Prefers well-drained, slightly dry soil.
Important Warning: English ivy appears on invasive species lists across many states. Randall Prostak, an invasive-plants specialist at University of Massachusetts Extension, cautions: “What makes a plant a great ground cover can also make it a garden thug.” Before planting, check your state’s invasives list at invasivespeciesinfo.gov.
Garlic
- Where Garlic Grows Best: All hardy zones, depending on frost and cold temperatures
- Maintenance of Garlic: Easy to grow, garlic prefers full sun and well-drained soil with regular watering initially and then reducing its water mid-summer.
Pro Tip: When using garlic as a companion plant, Jennifer Stimpson advises: “The most popular allium for keeping aphids off roses, garlic repels Japanese beetles and spider mites, too.” Plant garlic alongside roses, raspberries, cucumbers, peas, lettuce, and celery for maximum pest-deterrent benefits.
Geranium (Cranesbill)
- Where Cranesbill Grow Best: Hardy to Zones 4-8
- Maintenance of Cranesbill: A low-maintenance plant, these geraniums adapt to full sun to partial shade and need to be watered once their soil is dry to the touch.
Geranium (Pelargonium)
- Where Geranium Grows Best: Hardy to Zones 9-12
- Maintenance of Geraniums: Plant in full sun to partial shade. Geraniums are easy to grow, and prefer well-drained soil and regular watering.
Pro Tip: Marc Hachadourian, horticulturist at the New York Botanical Garden, notes that pelargoniums (common geraniums) are among the easiest softwood cuttings to root. He recommends: “Take cuttings about 3 inches long using a clean, sharp pruner (dull blades will crush stems and encourage rot). Strip away the lower leaves.”
Lavender
- Where Lavender Grows Best: Hardy to Zones 5-10
- Maintenance of Lavender: Full sun, well-drained soil, lavender plants do particularly well in drought-like conditions.
Pro Tip: Horticulturist Lauren Springer Ogden, author of The Undaunted Garden, notes that lavender is among the most reliable drought-tolerant perennials: “Mounding evergreen shrub with silvery-gray, needlelike leaves and spikes of sweet-smelling, lavender-purple or white flowers in summer.”
Marigold
- Where Marigold Grows Best: Hardy to Zones 2-11
- Maintenance of Marigold: Plant in the spring. These flowers thrive in full sun and require little maintenance. Allow the soil to become dry between waterings.
You can direct sow marigold seeds or start them early indoors. Seeds sprout quickly in 4-7 days and plants flower in 70-90 days from seeding.
Mint
- Where Mint Grows Best: Hardy to Zones 3-8
- Maintenance of Mint: This low-maintenance plant prefers well-drained soil and grows well in sun or partial shade. Be careful with this prolific grower; this plant may take over your garden if left alone.
Onion
- Where Onions Grow Best: All hardy zones, depending on the variety
- Maintenance of Onions: Full sun and water regularly (about once a week) unless it’s dry, then water more often.
Oregano
- Where Oregano Grows Best: Hardy to Zones 4-10
- Maintenance of Oregano: This quick grower prefers dry soil and full sun. Plant as a border or a ground cover—deterring rabbits as they approach your garden.
Rhododendron
- Where Rhododendron Grows Best: Hardy to Zones 4-8
- Maintenance of Rhododendron: Avoid full sun and full shade. These plants prefer moist soil—add mulch to prevent moisture loss.
Sage
- Where Sage Grows Best: Hardy to Zones 4-10
- Maintenance of Sage: This plant prefers full sun and well-drained soil.
