Lavender is a herb that the bunnies dislike. On May 23, 2017 in Longmont, Michael Morris, hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displays rabbit and deer repellent products as well as plants that the beasts dislike.
Are sedum rabbits resistant?
SunSparkler ‘Lime Twister’ Sedum has lime green foliage with a buttery yellow edging. This resilient succulent blooms in late summer with rose-pink flowers that linger for over a month, attracting pollinators and adding color to the late summer to fall garden. An easy-to-grow plant that will fill containers, borders, and drought-tolerant gardens. Resistant to deer and rabbits.
What plant keeps rabbits away?
When dealing with a rabbit problem in your yard, the most essential thing to remember is to get started as soon as possible before the rabbits decide that your outdoor space is a fantastic spot to hang out. Here are several non-toxic, humane techniques to keep rabbits away from your garden plants (in no particular order).
- Add physical obstacles to the garden. If you’ve read Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit, you’ll know that a picket fence won’t keep bunnies out. To make a fence around your garden or garden beds, use chicken wire with a mesh size of 1 inch or less. Keep in mind that rabbits are diggers, so you’ll need to dig a little deeper so the chicken wire is at least 6 inches below ground level. Check your barriers for holes or evidence of nibbling on a regular basis. Gardeners have also utilized motion-activated sprinklers to catch rabbits off guard and send them fleeing.
With these ideas from Karen Chapman of Le Jardinet Designs, you can build a critter-resistant vegetable garden.
- Individual plants should be safeguarded. If you have a few smaller plants that need to be protected, you can use chicken wire or plant cages to secure them separately. Rabbits can cause the most harm to larger woody shrubs and trees in the winter. They frequently nibble on the bark of trees and plants, completely surrounding the trunk and cutting off the passage of water and nutrients. Trunk guards that expand can help keep your trunks secure, but keep in mind that they may need to be adjusted for snow levels. Rabbits may reach higher and higher up the trunk and into the branches as the snow accumulates. Repellents are available in granular and spray forms and can be applied.
- Plants that rabbits dislike should be included. If you don’t have access to a fence, knowing what to plant to keep rabbits away from flowers and other plants is critical. Although rabbit-proof plants do not exist, some plants, such as basil, garlic, rhubarb, hot peppers, spicy basil, and mint, are disliked by rabbits due to their pungent odors. Some gardeners claim that marigolds deter rabbits, while others claim that rabbits enjoy the marigolds they have planted. In fact, as Theresa Rooney points out in The Guide to Humane Critter Control, juvenile bunnies are particularly vulnerable “will taste and eat a variety of plants that their parents would avoid. Baby rabbits aren’t yet sophisticated enough to distinguish between which plants they should eat and which they shouldn’t.” It may be a matter of trial and error and switching things up to solve your rabbit problem—rabbits might acquire accustomed to a plant’s smell over time, rendering it useless as a deterrent. Other plants that rabbits dislike are listed below to help you figure out what will perform best in your garden.
- Remove any possible nesting sites. If you don’t want rabbits in your yard, the last thing you want to do is unwittingly create the perfect nesting spot for a female rabbit. They prefer overgrown and grassy regions to lay their eggs, so keep those areas clear in your garden. With that stated, if you do happen to come upon a rabbit’s nest, don’t try to remove it. Call your local animal control to find out what you need do so that no rabbits are harmed.
- Visual deterrents should be added. While some gardeners claim that putting things in your yard to drive rabbits away would not help, others swear by it. Here are a few to consider: Metal pinwheels, rubber snakes, and owl sculptures (their movement, gleam, and even voice startle certain rabbits). Another alternative is to tie strips of aluminum foil to the twine that runs between two stakes. If you decide to use these deterrents, we recommend changing them around your garden on a regular basis to avoid the rabbits becoming accustomed to seeing them in the same area.
- Recruit the assistance of predators. Rabbits and other garden pests are easily deterred by dogs and cats. So, if you’ve been trying to persuade your roommates that you need one, now’s your chance “Another fantastic argument to add to the list is “garden protector.” If that’s not an option, deceive the neighborhood bunnies into believing you have a dog or cat. Request dog and cat hair from your local groomer, then pack it into a burlap bag or pantyhose and scatter it over your yard to fool rabbits into believing there’s a predator nearby. Hair will need to be replaced on a regular basis, especially if it rains.
- Make a spray of your own. Many homemade spray recipes may be found online, and many of them include cayenne pepper, which rabbits dislike due to its unpleasant odor. Here’s an example of a dish to try:
- Combine 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon pure-castile liquid soap, and 5 cups water in a mixing bowl.
If you have pets who prowl your garden, bear in mind that too much cayenne pepper might cause stomach irritation. Although it’s possible that your cat or dog may find the odor repulsive, use your best judgment when deciding whether or not to spray this in your garden.
- Other home cures should be tried. Gardeners are a resourceful bunch, and they’ve attempted a variety of methods to keep rabbits out of their gardens, including the following: Cut up or shred a bar of Ivory or Irish Spring soap (rabbits don’t like the aroma), wrap it in cheese cloth, tie it to a stake, and put it throughout the garden. Sprinkle black pepper, crushed red pepper, or garlic powder liberally in your garden beds, reapplying after a few weeks or after rain.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Do your homework! We’ve heard gardeners propose moth balls as a technique to keep rabbits away on online gardening forums, but please don’t use them in your yard! When swallowed, they are dangerous and poisonous.
What plants do rabbits not eat?
- Are your plants being devoured by pests? Both deer and rabbits avoid these perennials.
- Allium is a type of allium (Ornamental Onion) Although onions are an important part of the human diet, the flavor is unpleasant to grazers.
What animal eats sedum?
Animals. The fragile young shoots of the sedum plant have been reported to attract deer and squirrels. Deer have showed a liking for the sedum type known as autumn pleasure, despite the fact that it is deadly to humans.
Do rabbits eat Angelina sedum?
This disease-resistant perennial Sedum requires no extra care once established and is resistant to deer and rabbits. Simply plant it, water it to establish it, and enjoy the results. This resistant plant’s succulent foliage stores water for dry seasons, giving it tremendous durability.
How do I stop rabbits from eating my plants?
Even though we’ve largely talked about eastern cottontails, keep in mind that these ideas should work for any rabbit who likes to eat your plants!
- Rabbits smell a lot, as their twitching noses show. Try spraying dried sulfur on your plants or around them. Onions are similarly repulsive to rabbits, so grow them in your garden to keep them away.
- Try sprinkling your plants with ordinary talcum powder to deter bothersome bunnies.
- Because rabbits are excellent sniffers, sprinkling powdered red pepper throughout the garden or on certain plants may deter them.
- Rabbits will be deterred by placing Irish Spring soap shavings in little drawstring bags around the garden.
- Three fiery peppers, three large onions, and one complete bunch of garlic are ground together to make a bad-tasting rabbit drink. Cover with water and store in an airtight container overnight. After straining, add enough water to form a gallon of the mixture. Spray on plants and then repeat after rain. Commercial garlic oil products with a strong flavor are also worth trying.
- Some individuals use individual tin can “collars” or screening to shield plants until they reach a less sensitive size. To protect the stems, wrap the collar around them.
- Keep rabbits away from young fruit and landscape trees by using 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth cylinders. The cylinders should be one to two inches apart from the tree stem and extend higher than a rabbit’s reach while the rabbit is standing on the estimated depth of snow.
- Some odor-related deer methods are claimed to work against rabbits as well. Rabbits are deterred by commercially available deer repellents, which are made up of a combination of dried bovine blood, sulfured eggs, and garlic.
- According to legend, rabbits are afraid of their own reflections, so try an old rabbit treatment by scattering large, clear glass jars of water across the garden. Garden centers provide ready-made reflectors as well as various gadgets designed to scare rabbits away from your plants, such as crouched cats, fake snakes, and threatening owls.
- Humane traps are sometimes the best option. Consider making your own trap if you don’t want to buy one. Cover the trap with a piece of canvas and place it where you’ve seen the rabbits grazing or resting. Fresh green vegetables such as apples, carrots, cabbage, and other fruits and vegetables make wonderful bait. Check it frequently, and release bunnies many miles away in rural areas.
How to Prevent Rabbits
The easiest approach to keep rabbits out of your garden is to start early in the spring with the stuff they don’t like, and then stick with it all summer.
- To begin with, it’s important to keep rabbits out of the garden, and many old-fashioned cures call for sprinkling various materials along the garden’s border, such as dried blood, dried blood meal, or human hair. As early in the season as possible, sprinkle dried blood on the surface around all of your plants, and repeat after a hard rain. Note: If you have dogs, this method should not be used because they may be drawn to the aroma and begin digging up your garden.
- Do not rely solely on repellents. Chicken wire fencing is the most efficient technique to keep rabbits out. Install a 4-foot-high fence that is 6 inches deep in the ground. To prevent them from climbing or jumping over the fence, bend the upper foot away from the garden, as if it were a security fence. Try securing a dome or cage of chicken wire over the bed for new bulbs.
- Rabbits prefer not to leave their homes, so attempt to limit the number of prospective rabbit homes in your yard. Fill up abandoned burrows and remove mounds of brush and leaves. If a rabbit doesn’t have a location to call home, it is unlikely to stay and eat. Rabbits will also breed much more if they have a suitable habitat—all the more incentive to ensure that there is no vacancy!
Plants That Rabbits Dislike
Rabbits have plant preferences based on flavor, nutritional value, the presence of poison or prickles, and ease of access, according to bunny specialists. Because rabbits’ food preferences vary by place and season, not all plants are suitable for all rabbits. Plants that rabbits don’t like are a good place to start.
Rabbits, like deer and Japanese beetles, tend to avoid certain plants. If you want to keep all of these pests at bay, check out our lists of deer-resistant plants and the best and worst plants for Japanese beetles to see which ones will work best. Plants that rabbits enjoy include forsythia, lilac shrub, marigolds, zinnias, daffodils, lavender, and snapdragons. This may aid in the reduction of your rabbit population. Although this is not a definite solution because hungry rabbits can eat practically everything, planting these plants in your garden may make it less appealing to them than another. More plants that rabbits despise include:
Will coffee grounds keep rabbits away?
Coffee is a natural way to keep undesirable insects and animals out of your yard. Snails, slugs, and ants are put off by the fragrance of coffee. Coffee grounds may also be effective in repelling mammals such as cats, rabbits, and deer. Caffeine in coffee plants originated as a natural insect repellant, according to research published in the journal Science in September 2014.
What flower keeps rabbits out of garden?
Although gardeners prefer types with a citrus, rose, or other pleasant fragrance, geraniums are considered to discourage rabbits with their harsh stench. Zonal geraniums are bushy plants with soft, rounded leaves with a dark stripe running across them. Geraniums should be grown in full sun and fading flowers should be plucked to stimulate reblooming. Many gardeners keep their plants inside to overwinter, and if they get enough sun, they will continue to bloom.
What do rabbits hate the most?
There are a variety of fragrances that will deter rabbits from entering your home. The fragrance of predator musk or urine is replicated in most commercially produced rabbit repellents. Blood, crushed red peppers, ammonia, vinegar, and garlic are also repulsive to rabbits.

