If the local bunny population allows them to, hardy perennial perennials come back year after year. Choose one of these perennial plants that can withstand rabbit damage to address your bunny problem.
Aster (Aster spp.)
Some perennials that are resistant to rabbits serve a dual purpose by luring pollinators. Bees and butterflies are huge fans of asters. These laid-back sunbathers don’t require any extra maintenance or care. They bloom in hues of white, pink, and purple throughout the late summer to early fall, and rabbits largely ignore them.
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
More people are starting to notice the butterfly weed’s midsummer vivid orange blossoms in pollinator gardens, ancient fields, and by the sides of roadways. One of the more sophisticated varieties of milkweed, the plant’s compact mounding morphology thrives in pollinator gardens, where it helps monarch butterflies that are migrating. Rabbits are put off by the blossoms’ slight toxicity, though.
Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.)
Rabbit-resistant shade plants are necessary in shady gardens. One of the most well-liked perennials for shade, coral bells, also withstands rabbit predation. Coral bells can flourish in almost any yard and produce lush foliage in a large variety of textures and hues, from black-purple to green, gold, orange, or chartreuse. Their blossoms might be small spikes of pink or white flowers, or they can be a little more extravagant, but the leaves is always the major attraction.
Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
The traditional garden summertime heralds are daylilies. The best part is that bunnies ignore them. They are simple to cultivate, have wide, strap-like foliage, and enormous, vivid flowers that match any color scheme. Daylilies should be planted in full to partial sunshine, ideally in wet, well-draining soil.
What animal eats the leaves of coral bells?
The majority of heuchera species and cultivars are self-sterile, thus gardeners who desire seed will need to grow many varieties. The seeds are ripe six weeks after pollination, when the seed pods become brown and split apart, and the blooms bloom in the summer. The seed can be gathered and planted right away. In 30 days, the seeds will germinate, and by the fall, the seedlings will be prepared for potting.
Heuchera and x Heucherella can also be separated. Pull separate the rooted offsets and excavate the three-year-old clumps. It might be necessary to pot up the smaller offsets before replanting them in a prepared bed. I’ve successfully done this in both the summer and the winter. The offsets can also be handled as stem cuttings and, as long as they are shielded from desiccation during the rooting process, they will readily root without the use of any rooting hormone. Gardeners may also succeed by carefully taking a leaf from the base of the plant together with a little piece of stem tissue, then rooting the leaf/stem cutting.
Pests and Diseases of Heuchera and x Heucherella
Deer and rabbits usually avoid the astringent (bad-tasting) Heuchera and tiarella leaves. As a result, they make excellent hosta substitutes in areas with high deer pressure. Just keep in mind that a rabid deer or voracious rabbit would eat anything in the dead of winter, including a heuchera.
Insect pests in the garden often have no effect on Heuchera and x Heucherella. Heuchera, however, may occasionally be afflicted by black vine weevils, which bore into the crown and kill the tops (particularly in the Pacific Northwest). The plant will eventually die if left untreated, but systemic pesticides can control black vine weevils. There is no treatment for foliar nematodes, thus prevention is crucial when they do occasionally cause unsightly discolored areas on the leaf. Only purchase plants from nurseries that look for and remove contaminated plants.
Some cultivars will undergo summer dieback in hot, humid gardens because of the fungus sclerotinia. Gardeners should choose varieties that are regarded as hardy in their region. The most crucial preventive strategy is good air circulation, so watch out that other plants don’t outgrow your heuchera.
How to Grow Heuchera and x Heucherella in a Container
In mixed containers, Heuchera and x Heucherella thrive because they like well-drained potting soils with little fertilizer. Water the pots thoroughly in the summer but sparingly in the winter. If the container is not insulated, the pots will require some protection from the chilly winter weather. These plants are perfect for putting together gorgeous combinations because of the leaves they produce and their controlled growth habits.
Landscape Uses of Heuchera and x Heucherella
Garden designers often value the lovely foliage of Heuchera and x Heucherella because it offers a season-long burst of color. Because flowers are frequently transient, colorful foliage is significantly more valuable in garden design than flower color. Heuchera blooms, however, should not be disregarded because they provide the garden, during a portion of the growing season, an open, airy, informal character. The floral display also lasts quite a while if deadheaded. When gardeners include heuchera, they may dependably expect a whole season of purple, bronze, chartreuse, or silver leaves color. Similar to how they utilize hosta, designers can employ heuchera where there is some shadow. Heuchera have a wider variety of foliage and flower colors and the same rosette growth behavior as a small or medium-sized hosta. Heuchera are also deer-resistant and can be employed in gardens that are being dashed by Dancer and blitzed by Blitzen in place of hosta.
Heuchera and x Heucherella pair well with carex, ferns, hosta, and epimedium, among other plants. To create a purple and silver haven, group the purple-leaved heuchera varieties with other purple plants like Japanese maple or purple smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria). Compare the purple-leaved varieties to plants that have complementary colored foliage or flowers, such as yellow-flowered Lysimachia ‘Aurea’, pink-flowered Lychnis, or white-flowered Lychnis (Aloysia virgata). Similarly, combine the aforementioned trees and shrubs with yellow- or bronze-leaved Heuchera to provide a striking color scheme. Use the silver-leaved varieties in formal gardens or night gardens along with other silver or white plants. They complement moon vine, phlox “David,” and hydrangea “Annabelle” beautifully. Utilize cultivars with red, pink, or bronze leaves along with other vibrant hues like red, orange, and yellow to create a riot of vibrant hues.
History and Background of Heuchera and x Heucherella
Heuchera is also known as “alum root” and “coral bells.” The former name alludes to the popular garden species Heuchera sanguinea’s red blossoms. The latter name alludes to the roots’ ability to be utilized as an alternative to alum in the pickling process and their high tannin content. The roots are also used medicinally to shrink tissues in people who have piles, ulcers, and nasal bleeds. The intergeneric hybrid x heucherella, sometimes known as “foamy bells,” was produced by crossing the closely related genera of heuchera with tiarella (the foam flower). Due of their beauty and ease of cultivation, coral bells and foamy bells have become highly popular among fans of native plants.
Native to North America, heuchera can be found from Florida to California in the west to southern Canada in the north. They typically grow in woodland or mountainous (montane) habitats, mainly in cracks or on steep slopes with good drainage. Heucheras can survive in a variety of environments, as evidenced by the fact that I have seen them in the wild on steep outcrops in Tennessee and also in damp seeps in the agave-filled deserts of Arizona.
Are coral bells resistant to rabbits and deer?
The heuchera plant’s jewel-toned foliage will cover your shadow garden. There is a suitable heuchera for any garden thanks to the magnificent perennial’s vast spectrum of hues, which includes chartreuse, red, bronze, orange, purple, green, and bi-color. Additionally, heuchera produces lovely spikes of tiny red, white, or pink bell-shaped blooms in late spring and early summer, giving the plant its common name of coral bells. Hummingbirds adore the blooms, too! Heuchera grows as a compact, colorful mound that is 12 to 20 inches tall and looks great next to a border or along a walkway. You may also blend heuchera with other foliage plants like hosta and ajuga in a container or use it alone. Heuchera is also resistant to deer. From zones 4 to 9, hardy.
Heuchera Concerns? Send us an email, and one of our experts on shade gardening will respond.
Heuchera Growing Instructions
Heuchera prefers a place with rich, well-drained soil that is either entirely or mostly shaded. Early in the spring, fertilize the plants with a slow-release granular fertilizer. Heuchera is a relatively drought-resistant plant, although it thrives when mulched to keep the soil moist all the time.
My coral bells may be being eaten by what?
Black vine weevils (Otiorhynchus sulcatus), which are slightly under 1/2 inch long and have a conspicuous snout, are easily recognized. These non-flying insects damage the edges of the leaves by eating coral bells, which results in holes and sharp edges. The plant is rarely harmed by the damaged leaf, despite the fact that it is ugly. However, this beetle’s larval, or juvenile, stage can harm coral bells. The white, c-shaped larvae feed on the stems and roots of the plant, weakening or killing it.
Which types of plants deter rabbits?
Planting annuals like Zinnias and perennials that rabbits don’t like is another tactic. Rabbits have sensitive noses, as you may have inferred from the discussion of repellents. Strong-smelling plants, particularly those with an earthy, herbaceous perfume, frequently fail the rabbit sniff test.
Several brochures that Echter’s has available outline tactics for eradicating pests like rabbits. One suggestion for people selecting plants for the garden is to perform plant-by-plant trials, planting one of each plant kind and monitoring it the next morning or two. It is probably okay to plant more of the same if it hasn’t been uncovered and consumed.
Certain plants are referred to as “salad-bar specialties for rabbits.” These include fennel, petunias, irises, pansies, and tulips. Lavender, penstemon, artemesia, hyssop, sages, shasta daisies, gaillardia, common butterfly bush, blue mist spirea, and columbine are among the plants that rabbits detest.
Additionally, a handout by Echter outlines plants that deer often avoid. Douglas fir, Colorado blue spruce, lodgepole pine, pion pine, and common hackberry are some of the trees. Lavender, echinops, delphinium, goldenrod, chokecherry, chocolate flower, and Apache plume are more plants.
The only catch, according to McMillan, is that deer will eat if they are hungry.
If you reside in a populated region, you should also be aware that some plants are poisonous to deer and rabbits, making them undesirable to these animals. Children might not be able to understand this the way that wildlife can.
When all other measures fall short, fencing is the best deterrent against vermin, according to Morris of the Flower Bin.
To keep out a rabbit, he claims, it must be at least several feet tall. It must be somewhat durable. They are able to destroy it. Typically, people will utilize fencing or chicken wire.
Are coral bells resistant to pests?
Heucheras are largely pest-free perennials known as coral bells for the color and form of their flowers or alum roots for the tannins they contain. Grow these low-maintenance plants in shade or part sun with well-drained soil if you’re enamored with Heuchera hybrids for their vibrant, patterned foliage. In order to decrease pest exposure, learn more about the history of the many Heuchera types. For instance, H. micrantha can withstand greater moisture, whereas H. maxima and H. sanguinea are more tolerant of drought. There are tactics to protect your Heucheras if they are assaulted.
Should I trim my coral bells back?
Coral bells don’t require much upkeep, but you can prune off the entire flower stem after it blooms to direct the plant’s energy into developing additional leaves. After winter, if the leaves start to appear a little ragged, trim them back and new growth should rapidly take over.
What kinds of flowers won’t wild rabbits eat?
Perennials
- Bear’s breeches are a species of Acanthus.
- species of aconitum (monkshood)
- Agapanthus (African lily)
- Reptans ajiga (bugle)
- Lady’s Mantle, Alchemilla mollis
- Allium (ornamental onions)
- Alstroemeria (Peruvian lily)
- Anaphalis.
How can I prevent bunnies from consuming my plants?
- Given that rabbits have such keen senses of smell, sprinkling powdered red pepper throughout the garden or on certain plants may deter them.
- It has been suggested that scattering shavings of Irish Spring soap throughout the garden in small drawstring bags can deter rabbits.
- By blending three fiery peppers, three sizable onions, and a whole amount of garlic, you can make a foul-tasting rabbit cocktail. Overnight, cover with water and place in a container. After straining, mix the ingredients with a gallon’s worth of water. Spray plants again after a rainstorm. Try commercial goods made with strong garlic oil as well.
- Spray one teaspoon of Lysol and one gallon of water around your plants.
- Some individuals use individual “tin can collars” or screens to protect plants, allowing them to grow to a less vulnerable size. For safety, wrap the collar around each stem.
- Use hardware cloth cylinders with a 1/4-inch mesh to prevent rabbits from nibbling on young fruit and ornamental trees. The cylinders should stand one to two inches away from the tree stem and be higher than a rabbit might reach when standing on the anticipated depth of snow.
- Some odor-based deer tactics are claimed to also be effective against rabbits. Commercially marketed deer repellents that combine dried bovine blood, sulfured eggs, and garlic will keep rabbits away.
- Try an old-fashioned rabbit cure and scatter big, clear glass jars of water throughout the garden. According to legend, rabbits are afraid of their own reflection. Reflectors and other items are offered by garden centers. Bunnies can be scared away from your plants with the help of lurking cats, phony snakes, and ominous owls.
- Humane traps can be the best option in some situations. (Take note that it can be against the law to capture and release wild animals in your region.) Consider creating a trap if you don’t want to purchase one. Put the trap in the area where you’ve noticed the rabbits eating or relaxing, then cover it with a canvas. Apples, carrots, cabbage, and other vibrantly green fruits and vegetables make great lures.
Plants That Rabbits Dislike
Experts on bunnies claim that rabbits have specific plant preferences based on a variety of factors, including flavor, nutritional value, the presence of poison or prickles, and accessibility. Not all plants are suitable for all rabbits because their interests in diet might vary by place and season. Be cunning and take care of plants that rabbits don’t find particularly appealing.
Rabbits frequently steer clear of certain plants that deer and Japanese beetles do. Check out our lists of deer-resistant plants and best and worst plants for Japanese beetles to learn which plants might work best for controlling all of these pests. For rabbits, pick plants like forsythia, lilac bushes, zinnias, daffodils, lavender, and snapdragons. Your rabbit population might be reduced as a result of this. Although planting these plants in your garden may make it less enticing than another, this is not a guarantee because hungry rabbits will consume practically anything. Additional plants that rabbits don’t like include: